Constitutional Court to Rule Today on Free Nutritious Meal Programme Challenged Over Use of Education Budget

JAKARTA – The Constitutional Court (MK) is scheduled to hold a hearing to deliver its verdict or ruling on judicial review petitions concerning the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme on Thursday (30/7/2026). According to the Court’s official website, the hearing will take place in the Constitutional Court’s Plenary Courtroom in Jakarta, starting at 13:30 Western Indonesia Time.

There are three petitions concerning the review of Law No. 17 of 2025 on the 2026 State Budget, which concern the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme: petitions numbered 55/PUU-XXIV/2026, 52/PUU-XXIV/2026, and 40/PUU-XXIV/2026.

Petition number 55/PUU-XXIV/2026 was filed by Reza Sudrajat, a non-civil servant or contract teacher at a state junior high school in Karawang, West Java, who is appearing before the Constitutional Court for the first time.

At the preliminary examination hearing held on 12 February 2026, the petitioner highlighted the inclusion of the MBG programme budget within the education budget line.

Petition number 40/PUU-XXIV/2026 was filed by Sa’ed, a student, who has experienced the impact of limited educational facilities as a result of the education budget being allocated to the MBG programme.

Petition number 52/PUU-XXIV/2026 was filed by Felix Rega, a lecturer, whose welfare rights have not been fulfilled even though the education budget has been allocated to the MBG programme.

At the hearing on 11 March 2026, the third hearings of these petitions were consolidated as they involved the same legal issues under review.