Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and DPR Members Scold Bupati Fadia for Not Understanding Bureaucracy

Jakarta — The admission of Pekalongan Regent Fadia Arafiq’s lack of understanding of governance and the law following her arrest in an operation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has drawn sharp derision from many quarters. The derision was voiced by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto and several members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI). Many questioned how someone elected as regent could have such little understanding of governance. However, Fadia is not new to government, having previously served as Pekalongan’s deputy regent from 2011–2016 and as regent since 2021. According to Bima Arya, even if it is true that Fadia does not understand governance, the Golkar politician should learn quickly. He suggested she could call on university academics or senior bureaucrats to study. “If she continues to be involved in corruption, that is not a matter of lack of understanding, but might be deliberate. There are many central government training programmes related to capacity-building for forming a clean and service‑oriented governance,” he said. When someone decides to become a regional head, he continued, they automatically bear the responsibility of realising their vision for the region. “The consequence is, for that vision to be realised, the regional head must know how to realise it, including governance, which also includes the management of local finances,” he said. He emphasised that every regional head can ask for explanations to various state institutions or ministries if something is not understood during their tenure. “If there is something you do not know or are unclear about, every regional head has a place to ask. For example, with the Ministry of Home Affairs as the custodian of regional governance regarding the management of regional governance,” Ahmad said when contacted on Friday (6 March 2026). Regional heads can consult with ministries or state institutions related to administering regional governance.