{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1666076,
        "msgid": "saiful-mujani-and-the-nail-syndicate-1775713852",
        "date": "2026-04-09 12:18:00",
        "title": "Saiful Mujani and the Nail Syndicate",
        "author": "Budi Raharjo",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Politics",
        "summary": "The article critiques political consultant Saiful Mujani for his provocative calls to undermine President Prabowo Subianto, portraying him as an opportunist whose business interests are threatened by Prabowo's 2024 election victory. It draws a parallel between Mujani's tactics and a syndicate that scatters nails on roads to profit from tyre repairs, suggesting his agitation is a ploy to revive his flagging consulting services. This commentary highlights the darker side of political opportunism in Indonesia's direct democracy era, where personal gain often masquerades as academic discourse.",
        "content": "<p>History does not only record the stories of winners, but also of\nlosers. For history is not only written in golden ink, but also in red\nink\u2014the colour that often records the dark figures of every era. In\nevery civilisation, there are always figures who justify any means to\nachieve their goals. In Indonesia, the track record of these\nopportunistic groups has been recorded since the events of 1948 to 1965.\nHowever, now in the era of direct democracy, the opportunistic character\nis no longer solely the domain of politicians or oligarchs, but also of\nactors who claim to be academics yet operate as political businessmen\nunder the guise of researchers. One of the most current examples is the\nmanoeuvres of Saiful Mujani, owner of Saiful Mujani Research Consulting\n(SMRC). This figure, known as a student of William Liddle, has recently\nignited controversy through provocative calls to topple President\nPrabowo Subianto. In the realm of democracy, differing opinions are a\nright. However, when opinions are laden with agitation and propaganda\nfor the sake of personal project circulation gains, they turn into\npoison. Saiful Mujani is not a figure without interests. Since 2009, he\nhas been a political consultant working for rupiah rewards as an\nopponent of Prabowo. For over a decade, Prabowo has consistently\nmaintained the democratic climate despite always losing to Mujani\u2019s\nclients. Prabowo has adhered to legitimate election instruments until\nthe people\u2019s mandate finally fell into his hands honestly and fairly in\n2024. Ironically, Mujani\u2019s clients\u2019 first defeat in the direct\npresidential election era appears to have impacted his business\n\u2018kitchen\u2019. When access to government and SOE projects dims, logic\nincreasingly turns into sentiment. The pattern used by Saiful Mujani\nresembles that of a syndicate spreading nails on highways. Nails are\nscattered by rogue elements who are ready to offer tyre repair services\non the roadside. Mujani scatters \u2018nails\u2019 in the form of ideas for\noverthrowing power, while hoping he can once again offer his political\nconsultancy services, which are now starting to lose market and,\nmoreover, quality.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/saiful-mujani-and-the-nail-syndicate-1775713852",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}