Jakarta. The Ethics Council of the House of Representatives on Wednesday ruled that lawmaker and musician Ahmad Dhani had violated ethical standards over his racist remarks about naturalized football players and derogatory name-calling directed at fellow musician Rayen Pono.

The council has ordered Dhani to issue a public apology within seven days.

The decision follows a formal hearing at the House complex, during which Dhani was questioned under oath regarding his controversial statements during a legislative session with Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Chairman Erick Thohir on March 5.

At the time, Dhani criticized Indonesia’s naturalization policy in football, saying that "Caucasian people with blonde hair and blue eyes" do not reflect the identity of the Indonesian people. He further suggested that the PSSI recruit retired international players, encourage them to marry Indonesian women, and raise their children to become future footballers.

“Limit the option to male [players], especially Muslims who can have up to four wives,” Dhani said, drawing widespread public backlash. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) condemned the comments as sexist and discriminatory.

The Ethics Council also found Dhani in violation of proper conduct following a complaint filed by Rayandie Rohy Pono, widely known as Rayen, who accused Dhani of mocking his surname during a public event on April 10 by calling him "Porno." Rayen, a native of East Nusa Tenggara, said the incident was an insult to the Pono clan, a respected family name in the region.

“The accused must issue a public apology to the complainants no later than seven days from today,” said Nazaruddin Dek Gam, chairman of the Ethics Council.

During the hearing, Dhani defended his football-related remarks, claiming they did not violate any religious or state laws. Regarding his insult toward Rayen, he said, “It was purely a slip of the tongue. Besides, the accuser has already filed a report with the National Police.”

Dhani, the co-founder and frontman of the legendary band Dewa 19, was elected to the legislature in 2024 representing the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), chaired by President Prabowo Subianto.

History of Controversies
Following the controversy, Gerindra Secretary-General Ahmad Muzani publicly urged Dhani to uphold political decorum and warned him of the consequences of using provocative language for cheap publicity or viral attention.

Dhani, who turns 53 later this month, has been no stranger to controversy since entering politics. In 2014, he drew criticism for performing Queen’s “We Will Rock You” with altered lyrics during a campaign event for Prabowo, wearing a jacket resembling a Nazi uniform. The performance took place without permission from the band’s representatives.

In 2016, he was briefly detained over an alleged plot to overthrow then-President Joko Widodo, but was later released without charges.

In January 2019, a Jakarta court sentenced Dhani to 1.5 years in prison for hate speech, after making derogatory remarks about supporters of then-Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok). Later that year, a Surabaya court sentenced him to one year in prison for calling his political opponents "idiots" -- a sentence that was ultimately converted into a six-month suspended sentence.

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