Bamsoet Launches Two New Books Documenting Political and Academic Journey
Bambang Soesatudyo (Bamsoet), a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the Golkar Party, has launched two new books. These two works record his long journey through the worlds of politics, law, constitutional affairs, and education.
The two books are titled ‘Constitutional Law Politics: Bridging Academic Theory and Parliamentary Reality’, which is Bamsoet’s 38th book featuring a Prologue and Epilogue by Prof. Dr Jimly Asshiddiqie, and ‘From Senayan to the Lecture Hall: Traces of Leadership and Thought’, written by senior Kompas journalist J. Osdar.
Both books hold significant value by placing political experience and academic perspectives within a single discourse. Bamsoet’s work stems from his direct experience as both a legislator and a lecturer, while J. Osdar’s work examines how long-standing experience in parliament, organisations, the business world, and state institutions is subsequently transformed into service through education.
These two books affirm that political and academic journeys can mutually enrich one another. Parliament provides empirical experience regarding how state decisions are made, while universities provide a space to test that experience through theory, research, and critical thinking.
“Writing books for me is not merely a personal travelogue. Books serve as a way to document ideas, open spaces for debate, and pass on experience to the next generation,” Bamsoet stated in a release on Friday (11/9/2026).
He made this remark during the launch of ‘Constitutional Law Politics: Bridging Academic Theory and Parliamentary Reality’ and ‘From Senayan to the Lecture Hall: Traces of Leadership and Thought’ at Parliament Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (10/9) evening.
The Deputy Chairman of the Golkar Party explained that ‘Constitutional Law Politics: Bridging Academic Theory and Parliamentary Reality’ discusses several strategic issues relevant to Indonesia’s constitutional journey. These include the reconstruction of the state structure and national direction, the legislative process, the relationship between the government and the DPR, political and legal ethics, digital sovereignty, and Indonesia’s strategic leadership in international affairs.
The 15th Chairman of the MPR RI assessed that Indonesia’s constitutional challenges are becoming increasingly complex. Technological changes, the digital economic transformation, artificial intelligence-based crimes, geopolitical dynamics, and shifting patterns of relationship between the state and society demand that the law continues to adapt.
In such conditions, he continued, laws that are too rigid risk falling behind societal developments, whereas politics conducted without legal corridors can create opportunities for the abuse of power.
“Politics without a clear legal foundation risks producing arbitrariness. Conversely, constitutional law that ignores field realities will only become knowledge that is detached from life and useless,” said Bamloet.
The 20th Speaker of the DPR RI noted that his long experience over four terms in parliament shows that differences in opinion are an essential part of the democratic process. Debates in the drafting of laws should not be viewed as obstacles as long as they are directed towards producing better regulations. The challenge lies in how differing interests can be managed through argumentation, constitutional mechanisms, and the public interest.
“Behind every law, there is a political process, a tug-of-war of interests, societal demands, economic and technological developments, and the state’s need to find a point of balance. Therefore, empirical experience in parliament is important to bring into the academic sphere so that legal theory remains relevant to real-world issues,” said Bamsoet.
The Deputy Chairman of KADIN Indonesia explained that J. Osdar’s book, ‘From Senayan to the Lecture Hall: Traces of Leadership and Thought’, records the transformation of his journey from a journalist, entrepreneur, and organisational activist to a politician, leader of state institutions, and educator.
While Bamsoet’s journey as a member of the DPR RI, Speaker of the DPR RI, and Speaker of the MPR RI has received significant public attention, J. Osdar’s book attempts to view another side of that journey: how political and leadership experience is brought into the academic environment.
This journey is reflected in Bamsoet’s involvement in higher education, including his role as the founder of Universitas Perwira Purbalingging (Unperba) and as a postgraduate lecturer at several universities, namely Universitas Borobudur, Universitas Pertahanan, Universitas Terbuka, and Universitas Jayabaya.
“Entering the world of education can align with service in the political world. The experience gained from parliament, organisations, the business world, and national life can serve as learning material for students,” explained Bamsoet.
Bamsoet believes that education holds a strategic position in preparing a generation capable of understanding national issues holistically. Law students, for example, need to understand laws and constitutional theory, but they must also understand how law operates when facing political, economic, social, technological, and global changes.
“Therefore, practical experience needs to be presented in the academic sphere. Conversely, the political world also needs academic input so that every policy has a theoretical, constitutional, and argumentative foundation,” he added.
Furthermore, the launch of these two latest books adds to the growing body of Bamsoet’s literary works. From his first book, ‘The Secret of Success and Biography of Indonesian Entrepreneurs’ in 1988, to his latest work in 2026, the themes have continuously evolved alongside the nation’s journey and the author’s experiences.