Chronology of Pancatera Drawing Criticism Over Photo Attending Palace Ceremony

Pancatera, a group of four female broadcasters, came under public scrutiny after several of its members attended the Independence Day celebration at Merdeka Palace on 17 August. Photos of their presence at the event triggered criticism and debate over the consistency of the values that Pancatera and its programme In Her View have long championed.

The controversy began after photos of the In Her View presenters at the Merdeka Palace Independence Day celebration circulated on social media. In several of the photos that drew attention, they were seen attending the event and posing together.

The posts then drew reactions from netizens. Criticism was primarily directed at the fact that their presence at the event was seen as inconsistent with the image of Pancatera and In Her View, which have carried a narrative of empowering Indonesian women.

One Threads user, @trivena****, highlighted what she saw as a gap between the image Pancatera has built and the reality faced by most Indonesian women. After seeing the photos, she said she increasingly realised that Pancatera figures cannot automatically be considered to represent the voices of all Indonesian women.

Meanwhile, account @amil*** assessed that the controversy was not merely about photos posted on social media, but about taking sides.

“Because they, in full awareness, dressed up, agreed to be present there, took smiling photos, wow that is not a mistake, no need to apologise and clarify, Pancatera. That is a choice of values and allegiance that you believe in,” the account wrote.

“What they chose in full awareness was already highly calculated,” it continued.

The wave of criticism then developed into a broader debate. A number of netizens questioned the consistency between the values Pancatera has campaigned for through its public platform and the decision of its members to ‘party’ at the Palace. Their presence at the Palace event was seen by some netizens not merely as a matter of attending an event, but as relating to allegiance, identity and the values that have been built before the public.

However, not all netizens shared the same view. One Threads user, @ruther**, assessed that the criticism shows that society increasingly sees differences of opinion in black-and-white terms. According to him, people with different political views can still collaborate.

“In my view, healthy politics is sportsmanlike politics. You can still sit together outside of discussions, yet be sharp with each other during discussions,” he wrote.

He assessed that differences in political views should not automatically prevent someone from being friends or working together. According to him, comprehensive decision-making actually requires access and communication with various parties.

After the controversy grew, Pancatera finally spoke out. Through its social media accounts, including Threads @Pancatera, the group apologised to the ViewHers community and the public.

“We apologise for our misguided actions,” Pancatera wrote in its statement, quoted on Wednesday (19/8/2026).

Pancatera acknowledged that the presence and photo posts of In Her View presenters at the Merdeka Palace Independence Day celebration had triggered disappointment and questions, both within their community and among the public.

They said they had heard the various criticisms that emerged and accepted them as corrections.

“We accept them as corrections and reminders that as people who have a public platform, we have a responsibility to consider every decision we make more carefully,” Pancatera wrote.

In the statement, Pancatera also emphasised that In Her View and Pancatera operate independently and are self-funded.

They stated that they have no affiliation with the government or any political institution and said independence remains one of their important principles.

Pancatera also touched on the current state of governance. They acknowledged that there are still various problems faced by the public.

“We acknowledge that the running of the government so far is still far from perfect. There are still many of our brothers and sisters who face difficulties, uncertainty, and various problems that must not escape our collective attention,” Pancatera’s statement read.

They then promised to use the criticism as material for evaluation in using their platform going forward.

“We learn from this mistake and are committed to using our platform with awareness and full responsibility,” Pancatera concluded.