The Peril of Punchlines: How Pandji Pragiwaksono's 2013 Joke Sparked a Cultural and Legal Crisis

In early November 2025, a stand-up comedy performance from over a decade ago unexpectedly thrust prominent Indonesian comedian and public figure, Pandji Pragiwaksono, into a national firestorm. A viral clip of his 2013 special, Mesakke Bangsaku, provoked a severe backlash from the Toraja community, who deemed his material about the sacred Rambu Solo' funeral tradition a profound insult to their ancestral culture.

The controversy quickly escalated beyond social media debates, landing Pandji in the crosshairs of both state law and deeply rooted customary (adat) law.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Origin of Offense: Jokes About Cost and Corpses

The offensive material centered on the ceremonial costs and practices associated with the Rambu Solo' funeral ritual, which Pandji presented as humorous observations. The core points of the joke included:

• Financial Ruin: Pandji joked that the expense of conducting the traditional funeral feast could lead many Toraja people to "fall into poverty" (jatuh miskin).

• The Corpse in the Living Room: He further suggested that families lacking funds would simply "leave the corpse just like that" (dibiaring aja gitu) in the living room or front of the TV, before performing an impersonation suggesting the experience would be "horror" for visitors.

For the Toraja community, whose culture views Rambu Solo' as a sacred act of highest respect and a spiritual necessity to escort the soul to the afterlife (Puya), Pandji's material was condemned as a mockery and an act of cultural ignorance.

The Dual Legal Battle: State and Adat Responses

The widespread anger led to rapid and formal legal action initiated by key groups:

1. State Law (Hukum Negara)

The Aliansi Pemuda Toraja (APT) formally reported Pandji to the Bareskrim Polri on Monday, November 3, 2025. The report cited allegations of insult and hate speech with nuances of SARA (Ethnic, Religious, Racial, and Intergroup).

Crucially, despite Pandji's immediate public apology, the APT insisted they would not withdraw the police report. APT representatives argued that the state legal process and customary sanctions must continue to proceed to create a deterrent effect (efek jera) and prevent future degradation of Toraja culture by others.

As of mid-November 2025, Pandji himself stated he had not received any official summons (panggilan resmi) from the police regarding the report.

2. Customary Law (Hukum Adat)

Pandji also faced rigorous demands from the customary domain, specifically from the lembaga adat Tongkonan Adat Sang Torayan (TAST).

• Initial Sanction Reports: TAST was widely reported to have imposed a devastating customary fine: 48 kerbau (buffalo), 48 babi (pigs), and a moral contribution (lolo tau) of Rp 2 billion. These animals represented the lolo patuan (material sanction) necessary to restore the equilibrium between the human world (lino tau) and the spirit world (lino to mate). TAST also issued a formal somasi (summons) requiring Pandji to physically come to Toraja within 3x24 hours.

• The Requirement to Travel: Pandji acknowledged that resolution via customary law only be done in Toraja.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pandji's Response: Apology, Dialogue, and Clarification

Pandji's response, issued on November 4, 2025, was characterized by profound remorse and a clear strategy for accountability.

Acknowledgment and Learning: Pandji explicitly admitted receiving "many protests and anger" and confessed that his 2013 joke was "ignorant" (abai or lacking knowledge). The turning point was his immediate dialogue with Rukka Sombolinggi, the Secretary-General of the Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara (AMAN).

"In our conversation via telephone, Ibu Rukka menceritakan with very beautiful about Toraja culture—about its meaning, its value, and its depth".

Commitment to Adat Process: Pandji stated his readiness to face both legal paths. Rukka Sombolinggi offered to facilitate a meeting between Pandji and representatives from 32 Toraja customary regions. Pandji committed to prioritizing this customary step, but would proceed with state law if a meeting was not possible in time.

The "Inaccurate" Fine: Later in November, Pandji, relaying information from AMAN, clarified the status of the widely publicized 96-animal, Rp 2 billion fine. Pandji stated that according to Rukka Sombolinggi and many Toraja friends, those figures were "not accurate" (tidak akurat) and the formal hukuman (punishment) "had not been decided yet" (belum ada). A formal sanction requires direct dialogue and consensus with representatives from the 32 Toraja customary regions.

Pandji suggested that the Toraja community actually does not seek formal punishment, but rather he plans to offer a "donation" or "sumbangan" as a personal initiative to symbolize good faith and restore the relationship. He has entrusted the entire customary resolution process to AMAN and Rukka Sombolinggi.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pandji Pragiwaksono controversy serves as a sharp reminder that humor, especially when dealing with deeply sacred traditions, must be grounded in cultural understanding and respect. The confrontation between a 21st-century comedian and ancient customary law underscores the power of cultural memory and the insistence of indigenous communities that their dignity be acknowledged and protected through both modern legal deterrence and traditional restorative justice.