DPP BKPRMI: Tradition of Official-Student Dialogue on Campus is a Democratic Advancement

The Central Board of the Indonesian Mosque Youth Communication Body (DPP BKPRMI) has commended ministers and government officials under President Prabowo Subianto for visiting university campuses to engage in direct dialogue with students. This new tradition is viewed as a form of government openness and a step forward in Indonesia’s democratic practice.

Deputy Chairman of DPP BKPRMI, Sedek Rahman Bahta, stated that this direct forum for testing policies based on data and facts is a rare momentum that should be welcomed by academics. “This is something new in our constitutional practice. When public criticism arises, officials do not merely provide clarification through the media, but come directly to campus to dialogue and openly compare data with students,” Bahta said in a statement on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

BKPRMI expressed regret if this constructive communication space were met with persecution, intimidation, or unilateral rejection. Bahta stressed that campuses must maintain their dignity as healthy academic spaces. A campus should be an arena for the clash of ideas and data validation, not a place to judge those with differing views. “Criticism born from an academic environment must be based on strong data, not merely rejection without dialogue,” he said.

DPP BKPRMI hopes this tradition of direct communication will be maintained going forward. This model is believed to be capable of building a more mature, participatory Indonesian democracy that is oriented towards solutions through deliberation for the nation’s progress.