Interviewing an empty chair with a nonexistent guest can be both funny and frustrating to watch, but this Indonesian journalist seemed not to mind it at all, after firing questions fiercely despite the absent guest.
Journalist Najwa Shihab interviewed an empty chair which is supposedly Indonesia’s health minister Dr.Terawan Agus Putranto.
The absent health minister was repeatedly invited to the popular political show, MataNajwa, which means the “eyes of Najwa,” but kept declining the invitation. According to an official, this is due to his very busy schedule, but others are not convinced.
The health minister has received criticisms on his performance in handling the COVID-19 infections in Indonesia, as the country is currently among Southeast Asian countries with the highest cases of COVID-19, where the virus has infected more than 280,000.
She asked questions that echo the public’s sentiments and concerns—from addressing the government’s lack of transparency, to why did he disappear?
But all of her questions are left unanswered on that day. The empty chair represented the lack of communication and assurance in the pandemic cases rising in the country. Najwa stated in a local news that she is urging the health minister to step down. And to be more accountable for his position.
The interview video made rounds on the social media when it got published on Instagram. Najwa has over 14 million followers on the social media platform.
After the video, a hashtag #MataNajwaMenantiTerawan which means #MataNajwaisWaitingForTerawan became a trending topic.
See tweets here.
POP! Creator Community / Nicole Valdez