The Instagram photo that gripped the nation. Photo: Instagram/@dewinurizza
We really have to be careful with what we share on social media in Indonesia. Just ask Dewi Septiani, the woman who caused the plastic rice scare in the first place.
Through her Instagram account, @dewinurizza, Dewi uploaded a couple of photos on May 18 showing what she then thought was plastic rice that she had just recently purchased in Bekasi.
Her photos caused people all around the nation to question the rice they consume. That is, until the government recently reassured citizens that they conducted lab tests and no plastic rice was found sold in the country’s markets.
But it seems Dewi’s involvement in this story is far from over. The government, including Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman and even Vice President Jusuf Kalla, has called for Dewi to answer to authorities for causing public anxiety.
Dewi, a 29-year-old mother of three, feels cornered.
“I can only pray and hope for the best in this case,” she said at her house in Mustikajaya, Bekasi, as quoted by Warta Kota yesterday.
Dewi’s legal representation, Ahmad Hardi Firman, who is a member of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institution, said she didn’t intend to spread anxiety across the nation.
“Ibu Dewi is a housewife. She was worried her friends would experience the same thing, so she spread the information through social media,” Ahmad said.
In addition, Ahmad said Dewi also reported her suspicions to the relevant authorities, which means she acted in the best interest for others.
Hopefully, Dewi won’t be punished for trying to warn people about a potential danger. The police don’t seem like they’re going to be pressing charges against her.
“What Ibu Dewi did was acceptable and within her right as a consumer,” said National Police Chief Badrodin Haiti.
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