After Meeting Gibran, Students Issue 5x24 Hour Ultimatum to Government
Students from Bung Karno University (UBK) and MH Thamrin University who staged a demonstration at the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta have issued an ultimatum to the government after meeting Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. They gave a deadline of 5x24 hours to show follow-up actions on their demands.
“If within 5x24 hours, by Friday, 19 July 2024 at the latest, the second party violates, ignores, or does not show progressive evidence of the realisation of this memorandum, then the first party has the right to say that the second party has a defect in moral legitimacy and has betrayed our agreement,” said action coordinator Muhammad Abdi Maludin after the meeting at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta, Monday (15/6/2026).
Previously, student representatives were received by Gibran to convey a number of aspirations covering fiscal, education, legal, and civilian supremacy clusters, as well as the monetary and energy crisis.
“Our fellow students conveyed their aspirations, both their grievances from the regions and grievances on a national scale, they conveyed them constitutionally directly to the Vice President,” Abdi said.
In the fiscal and education cluster, the students requested the government temporarily suspend the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme and audit the transparency of the food sovereignty deputy’s policies in the regions. They also requested that efficiency savings be redirected to subsidise higher education operational costs to make education more affordable.
Additionally, the students proposed that the government send an official recommendation to the House of Representatives (DPR RI) to conduct a legislative review of the newly passed Polri Law.
“The third point; the legal and civilian supremacy cluster. I will shorten this because our friends are there. Sending an official recommendation on behalf of the regional government to the DPR RI to conduct a legislative review of the Polri Law that was passed a few weeks ago,” he said.
The students also highlighted the monetary and energy crisis. They urged the central monetary authority to intervene to maintain the stability of the rupiah exchange rate. Furthermore, they requested the government cancel the policy of increasing Pertamax fuel prices, which they consider to be suppressing people’s purchasing power.
Acting Secretary of the Vice President Al Muktabar said Gibran received and welcomed the aspirations conveyed by the students through interactive dialogue. According to him, a number of issues raised originated from the regions but have a national-level impact.
“Well, that will be material for consideration to be advanced to the Vice President regarding matters that require follow-up, of course within the limits of authority according to laws and regulations,” said Almuktabar.
He said the results of the study and the students’ aspirations would be material that Gibran would bring to President Prabowo Subianto. The students’ demands, he said, would be forwarded through the applicable mechanism.
“Oh yes, of course the two of them, the Vice President and the President, have a working mechanism that will be conveyed on appropriate occasions according to the available time,” he added.