Her popularity is now nothing to do with her past. If, in the 1980s, Neno was widely known by the Indonesian public as a pop singer and film actress, she is now recognized for her social, educational, and religious activities.
This mother of three children is also getting more popular not only because of her staunch support for the people of Palestine`s struggle for independence but also for her role in campaigning the #2019GantiPresiden (#2019ChangePresident) movement.
Her involvement in the #2019ChangePresident movement does not always run smoothly and easily as revealed in some cases of persecutions that she had undergone.
Born in Banyuwangi, East Java, on June 21, 1964, Neno Warisman is a well-educated figure in which she obtained her Sarjana (undergraduate) degree in French Literature from the University of Indonesia, one of the country`s centers of excellence.
In Indonesia`s modern politics, her position cannot be ignored though she is not a political party leader. However, her involvement in the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair`s success team will pave the way for her deeper engagement in real politics.
Neno was officially been appointed to be the deputy chairperson of the presidential and vice presidential pair`s success team at a meeting, held in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, and attended by Prabowo Subianto and representatives of his coalition parties.
Speaking to journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday, the National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman, Yandri Susanto, said Neno also attended the meeting and confirmed her readiness for struggling side by side with other success team`s members for Prabowo`s victory.
"Neno Warisman has accepted the decision and conveyed that she wholeheartedly joined the success team," Yandri Susanto said adding that the deputy chairmanship position was given to her based on the agreement made during the meeting.
From the beginning, Chief Patron of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto has actually requested Neno`s readiness for joining his success team.
"Thus, this is a kind of Prabowo and Neno`s agreement. Prabowo hopes that Neno will be able to give the success team members new energy. She has conveyed her readiness for doing her best to struggle for Prabowo`s victory," he said.
The Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair is challenged by incumbent President Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, and his running mate, Ma`ruf Amin, in the 2019 presidential election.
Jokowi has gained massive support for his reelection bid but there are groups that endorse the #2019GantiPresiden (#2019ChangePresident) movement in different parts of the country, such as Medan (North Sumatra), Batam (Riau Islands), and Pekanbaru (Riau).
Neno Warisman is one of the key and leading figures behind the movement. However, persecutions against Neno, and other key figures and those supporting the #2019ChangePresident movement have frequently occurred in certain parts of the country.
One of the recent incidents that has attracted the attention of print, electronic, and online media across Indonesia happened in Pekanbaru, Riau Province.
As a result of the incident, Neno failed to join those wanting to declare the movement in the capital of Riau Province after being forced by the local security apparatus to return to Jakarta.
Before being forced to get back to Jakarta by a commercial aircraft, Neno Warisman said she kept staying inside a sedan that would transport her to Pekanbaru city for at least six hours.
The car could not get out of the Sultan Syarif Kasim International Airport after the gate of the airport complex area was blocked by the opponents of the #2019ChangePresident movement that staged a noisy rally under the local police`s tight security.
In response to this situation, Prabowo Subianto condemned the acts of allowing the persecutions against those supporting the movement to happen because they just want to exercise their rights to freedom of expression.
"Democracy demands freedoms of expression, associate, and assembly," he told participants of a seminar, organized for reviewing his book titled "The Paradox of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto`s Strategic Perspectives: Rich Country, But Many of Its People Remain Poor" in Jakarta recently.
The people`s fundamental rights are guaranteed by the state`s constitution and democracy, Prabowo said.
For President Joko Widodo, the police`s acts of securing the law and order in dealing with the people`s rights to freedom of association and expression have absolutely been correct. He argued that those rights should be exercised in accordance with regulations.
"In a democratic state, there are the rights to freedom of assembly, expression, and association, but, once again, they are exercised in accordance with regulations. Do not break security and social order," he said in an occasion held in Jakarta recently.
The #2019ChangePresident movement obviously reflects the political preference of Neno Warisman but her official position in the Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno pair`s success team has paved the way for her deeper involvement in real politics.
Editing by Fardah Assegaf
Reporter: Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
