BKPRMI Applauds Ministers' Direct Dialogue with Students, Condemns Disruption at UGM
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Mosque Youth Communication Body (DPP BKPRMI) has expressed appreciation for the steps taken by ministers and government officials during the era of President Prabowo Subianto to visit campuses directly to engage in dialogue with students.
“This is a new development in our constitutional practice. When public criticism arises, officials do not merely provide clarifications through the media, but instead come directly to campuses to engage in dialogue and openly present data to students,” said the Vice Chairman of DPP BKPRMX, Sedek Rahman Bahta, in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Bahta stated that direct dialogue to test policies based on data and facts represents a rare momentum that should be welcomed by the academic community. This new tradition is regarded as a form of government transparency and progress in Indonesia’s democratic practice.
BKPRMI expressed regret if such constructive communication spaces were met with persecution, intimidation, or unilateral rejection. Bahta emphasised that universities must maintain their dignity as healthy academic spaces.
He noted that campuses should essentially serve as arenas for the exchange of ideas and the validation of data, rather than places to judge those with differing views. Furthermore, he reminded that criticism arising from academic environments must be based on strong data, rather than mere rejection without dialogue.
DPP BKPRMI hopes that this tradition of direct communication will be maintained in the future. This pattern is believed to be capable of building a more mature, participatory, and solution-oriented Indonesian democracy through deliberation for the nation’s progress.
Previously, the Head of the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom), Muhammad Qodari, emphasised that dialogue must be prioritised in democratic practice, and that the government is committed to continuous dialogue with the public to implement and improve the quality of national priority programmes.
Qodari’s statement was in response to the rejection by some students of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) regarding the arrival of three state officials at a discussion event at the Joglo Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas (GIK) UGM, Yogyakarta, on Monday night (15/6).
“Democracy can only occur if there is dialogue. If there is no dialogue, only demands, then it is not called democracy. That is simply ‘everything is about me, I only want what I want’,” said Qodari in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The discussion, which featured the Head of the Poverty Alleviation Acceleration Agency, Budiman Sudjatmiko, the Minister of ATR/BPN, Nusron Wahid, and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sudaryono, had been proceeding smoothly. However, during the discussion, a group of students rushed the stage and unfurled protest banners, causing the discussion to disperse.