By:
Dimas Aria Nabi
(Education Practitioner)
Feni Rose’s remark was brief, yet stinging: “Do not deify human beings. If you do, they might start believing they truly are gods.”
She wrote this as many people grew emotional over the sight of Gibran Rakabuming Raka—no longer the Vice President—departing in a personal Toyota Innova Zenix rather than his official state vehicle.
The public was moved, mistaking it for humility. In reality, it was merely the final act in a long-running drama of carefully crafted image-building.
Feni Rose astutely peeled back another layer: “Yet, the diamond necklace worn by his wife—not to mention her bracelet and designer handbag—far exceeds the price of that Innova.”
That single observation dismantled the entire narrative of humility that had been painstakingly constructed over the years.
*Camouflaged Simplicity*
Do not be lulled by appearances; this is the core of Feni’s analysis. Jokowi, too, cultivated an image of simplicity—eschewing luxury watches, favoring white shirts and black trousers, and wearing modest footwear. This image was marketed as proof that he was a “man of the people”—a leader who rose from the common folk.
But look at the other side—the side deliberately kept hidden. Consider his wife’s handbags, the use of private jets, and shopping sprees abroad. These reveal the true face of a power structure that revels in the opulence of an oligarchy.
This is not humility; it is camouflage. In the theory of political image-making, this is known as “manufactured authenticity” [Stuart Hall, *Representation*]. Simplicity is donned only for the cameras, while true luxury is enjoyed behind the scenes.
Our society is all too easily swayed by symbols. We admire the white shirt, yet we fail to check what lies in the pockets beneath it. We lament the Innova Zenix, yet fail to account for the cost of the diamond necklace adorning the wife’s neck.
*The New Idols We Create Ourselves*
This is where the danger of deifying human beings becomes starkly apparent. When we deify Jokowi, he feels entitled to alter the constitution—as seen in Constitutional Court Ruling No. 90/PUU-XXI/2023—for the sake of his own child. When we deify Gibran, he comes to believe he is fit to serve as Vice President, despite lacking sufficient experience or any record of scholarly discourse in an academic setting.
We are the ones who created these idols. We worship a facade of simplicity, only to be disappointed when these idols demand our continued devotion.
Feni Rose reminds us of a fundamental principle of democracy: a leader is a servant, not a god. They are merely human—capable of error, prone to mistakes, and able to deceive through carefully crafted public images. Our task is not to mourn their departure alongside an Innova, but to audit what they have left behind: debt, the erosion of the constitution, and the legacy of an oligarchy.
It is time to stop fretting over cars. Start counting the diamonds instead.
True simplicity requires no cameras. It needs no Innova to show off, and no diamonds to hide.
Indramayu, November 14, 2026
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