Anies Speaks Out, Says the State of the Nation Is Not Looking Good

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Former Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, has spoken out about the current conditions, which he says are not going well. He conveyed this via his Instagram account @aniesbaswedan; Kompas.com has obtained confirmation from Anies’ team regarding permission to quote the statement, on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.

‘Friends, please allow me to share my view. I have been closely following what is happening in this country, and frankly the condition is not going well,’ he wrote.

Anies said the rupiah had fallen to an all-time low, pushing up prices. ‘And this affects the livelihoods of many people,’ he added.

The former presidential candidate in the 2024 election also said that geopolitical challenges, the Middle East conflict and the strongest El Niño-triggered droughts are on the horizon. ‘A single heavy test is tough; when several come at once, the burden multiplies,’ Anies said.

He did not want a false sense of calm, a problem masked with sweeteners, but certainty born from transparency and honesty, from a clear direction, from a government that knows where the country is being steered. ‘Unfortunately, that is not what we are getting. Data is selectively presented; only the good is shown, the bad is hidden,’ Anies said.

Anies also highlighted comments by state officials who are perceived as taking the crisis lightly in the face of the looming crisis.