Jakarta. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has expelled Gorontalo provincial legislator Wahyudin Moridu after he appeared in a viral TikTok video boasting that he would “steal state money.”

The video emerged amid growing public criticism of the generous allowances received by both regional and national lawmakers, often worth many times the minimum wage of ordinary workers.

In the video, Wahyudin is seen inside a car with a woman, saying he was on a trip from Gorontalo to Makassar, South Sulawesi.

“Today we are going to Makassar using state money. Let’s just rob the state’s money, spend it all, and make this country poorer,” he said, before clearly identifying himself as a member of the Gorontalo provincial legislature.

An internal investigation by the Gorontalo legislature’s ethics council found that Wahyudin was under the influence of alcohol when he made the controversial remarks. Although he later issued a public apology, the PDI-P leadership moved swiftly to dismiss him.

“I call on all party members from Sabang to Merauke, from Miangas to Rote, to uphold discipline, ethics, dignity, and the honor of the party,” said Komarudin Watubun, who chairs PDI-P’s honor and discipline council, in a video message on Saturday.

The party confirmed that Wahyudin was not only removed from the Gorontalo legislature but also stripped of his party membership.

Following his dismissal, Wahyudin reappeared in a Facebook video with his wife, saying he would return to life as a private citizen.

“We got married when we had nothing, just ordinary people living in the village. I used to work as a driver, earning only Rp150,000 a day. Maybe I’ll go back to being a driver or start another small business with my wife,” he said.

“I apologize. We will start again from zero amid public criticism. This is the consequence we must accept for being public officials,” he added.

Add as a preferred source on Google +