Denpasar Mayor Faces Police Report Over Erroneous Claims About Health Insurance Deactivation
The Merah Putih Community Synergy Forum (FSKMP) has declared it will report Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara to police over his statement describing the deactivation of Subsidised Health Insurance Contributions (PBI JK) as a “direct order from President Prabowo Subianto.”
FSKMP Coordinator Purwanto M Ali stated that the mayor’s remarks were deemed baseless, misleading to the public, and damaging to the central government’s dignity.
“The Denpasar Mayor’s statement was reckless, lacking valid data, tendentious, and potentially constitutes defamation as it implicates the President. The impact is real: it has created social commotion, anxiety, and confusion among the public,” Purwanto said in a written statement on Tuesday (17 February 2026).
According to Purwanto, the statement, which subsequently went viral, created a false perception that the President had ordered the deactivation of PBI JK for people in deciles 6 to 10. In reality, PBI JK policy is based on integrated data and programme criteria, not a unilateral decision attributable to the President.
FSKMP also highlighted Denpasar City Government’s plan to reactivate PBI JK for deciles 6 to 10 using local budget funds (APBD). The forum argued this move could reinforce a negative perception that the central government “does not stand with the people.”
“Based on available data, those in deciles 6 to 10 are classified as financially capable and above the poverty line. The narrative that has developed has distorted the policy and directed public opinion towards erroneous conclusions,” Purwanto said.
On these grounds, FSKMP stated it would pursue legal action by reporting the Denpasar Mayor’s statements to law enforcement. The forum confirmed it has assembled a legal team to oversee the process.
“In the interest of upholding truth and the law, we will take this case to the legal arena and file a report with the police. The process will be carried out in an orderly manner and in accordance with prevailing legislation,” Purwanto affirmed.
FSKMP has appointed Hamzah Rahayaan SH and associates as legal counsel to follow through on the legal proceedings.
Previously, Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara had apologised regarding his statement about the deactivation of PBI JK. Jaya Negara acknowledged his error, stating that the regulation he had intended to reference was Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 4 of 2025 on the National Unified Social and Economic Data (DTSEN).
“Honestly, there was not the slightest intention on our part to do that. What we meant was that the President issued Instruction No. 4 of 2025 on DTSEN, which aims to improve data accuracy so that it is better targeted, effective, and efficient,” Jaya Negara said in his statement on Saturday (14 February 2026).