JAKARTA – The camera was meant to show leadership in action – Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi on the ground, meeting residents, tackling floods after heavy rains. But one forgotten microphone caught something else: an unidentified voice saying “epok-epok keliling”, and a political storm was born.
The Javanese phrase means “pretending” or “as if”, distinct from Singapore’s “epok-epok” which means the curry puff snack. It slipped out during live streaming on the mayor’s official account at the end of October, before turning viral on Nov 1.
Within hours, the audio was everywhere. The hashtag #EpokEpokKeliling surged across TikTok, X and Instagram, drawing thousands of views and setting off a national debate about authenticity and performance in Indonesia’s politics.
The clip lasted just seconds. But in a digital culture where every frame is scrutinised, it was enough. Many Indonesians took the remark as a cynical comment implying that the mayor’s activities were staged – “as if working”. Others, familiar with local slang, insisted it was harmless production lingo for a “simulation” or “retake”.
In a country that prizes sincerity in public life, the nuance hardly mattered. The damage spread faster than any clarification, with critics accusing the mayor’s team of staging scenes to make him look hardworking.
Then the voice behind the words stepped forward. Ms Hening Dzikrillah, a junior member of the mayor’s media team, tearfully announced her resignation in a video on Nov 2, saying: “This was entirely my personal mistake. I understand this has had a significant impact on the mayor.”
In October, Surabaya City Council Deputy Speaker Arif Fathoni called it “a simple mistake that should not define the mayor’s leadership”. Mr Eri would later reject her resignation.
“When young people make mistakes, do not destroy their character. Encourage them to have faith and rise again,” he said.
The incident exposed how politics in Indonesia has merged with performance – and how, in the digital era, perception often eclipses policy. Across the country, local leaders have turned to social media to appear approachable and empathetic. Yet, as audiences become more digitally literate, their scepticism has grown.
“Indonesian netizens are becoming more critical and smart, and they can distinguish between image-building and what is concrete or authentic.
“In general, social media usage now values authenticity more than polished content, and if a lie is discovered, social sanctions from netizens can be very harsh,” Mr Enda Nasution, communication consultant at communications agency Suvarna.ID, told The Straits Times.
