PONTIANAK, thekabarnews.com—The Pontianak branch of the Muhammadiyah Students Association (PC IMM) staged a demonstration outside the West Kalimantan Governor’s Office on Friday afternoon, Oct. 9, demanding stronger action against forest and land fires (karhutla) and greater transparency over a Rp60 billion emergency budget.

The protesters gathered at the government complex on Jenderal Ahmad Yani Road in Southeast Pontianak. They urged provincial authorities to strengthen fire prevention, disclose how they used the emergency funds and investigate companies suspected of contributing to the fires.

The rally also brought attention to alleged intimidation against PC IMM chair Muhammad Sher Khan before the protest. Sher Khan said several people who claimed to represent West Kalimantan Deputy Governor Krisantus Kurniawan contacted him after the organization circulated a digital poster titled “West Kalimantan Is Not Yet Free from Haze.”

The poster promoted an Oct. 7 discussion and questioned the implementation of the Rp60 billion fire-response budget. It displayed photographs of Governor Ria Norsan, Deputy Governor Krisantus Kurniawan and West Kalimantan Police Chief Insp. Gen. Alberd Teddy Benhard Sianipar.

Sher Khan showed screenshots that he said documented threatening messages from at least seven telephone numbers. One message read, “Get ready. We will pick you up because you have defamed the West Kalimantan deputy governor.”

Independent sources have not verified the senders’ identities or their alleged connection to the deputy governor. As of Sunday, police had not announced any findings confirming such a link.

Sher Khan said the messages represented an attempt to suppress legitimate criticism.

“Freedom of expression is clearly and firmly guaranteed by the Constitution. Why, then, would a public official elected by the people of West Kalimantan engage in this kind of silencing?” he said.

Article 28E of Indonesia’s Constitution protects freedom of association, assembly and expression, while Article 28G guarantees protection from threats intended to prevent people from exercising their rights, according to jdih.dpr.go.id.

Mario Ginarto, a spokesperson for Krisantus, subsequently denied that the deputy governor had instructed anyone to stop the demonstration, interfere with reporting or silence student criticism. He said anyone claiming to represent a public official did not automatically prove that the official had authorized their actions.

“Criticism of government policy must be allowed, and objections to the use of a photograph should not automatically be characterized as intimidation,” Mario said. He called for the evidence and the senders’ identities to be examined objectively.

The budget dispute had already attracted legislative scrutiny. West Kalimantan Legislative Council members requested a detailed explanation in September about the allocation of approximately Rp60 billion. The amount comprised about Rp20 billion in regional emergency funds and Rp40 billion from the central government. They also asked what results the funding had produced.

Law-enforcement data also underpins the students’ demand for transparency. By Aug. 30, provincial police had handled 56 fire-related reports, named five suspects and begun examining possible links involving eight companies. Governor Ria Norsan later said investigators were still looking into those corporate cases.

PC IMM issued seven demands, urging the government to revoke the permits of companies that violate the law, publish updates on investigations into eight companies and release the fire-response funds.

PC IMM also wants stronger early detection, long-term prevention and accountability from the provincial police. Its final demand condemns intimidation by anyone claiming to represent the deputy governor.

“West Kalimantan does not need repeated promises,” Sher Khan said. “It needs concrete preventive action, impartial law enforcement and the courage to accept responsibility.”