DPR Commission XIII Chair Slams Human Rights Minister's Office Construction Plan Amid National Crisis

Chair of Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Willy Aditya, has criticised Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai during a working meeting on the budget. Willy urged Pigai to abandon his plan to build new offices. The office construction plan was initially raised by Minister Pigai whilst presenting his budget proposal to the DPR on Wednesday (10/6/2026). He acknowledged proposing an increase for non-management operational support. “This non-management operational support has increased slightly. Allow me to be frank, I have written to the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform that there will be an opening, possibly, God willing, of regional offices that have not yet been established and the elevation of Echelon II A status in several existing regional offices. Therefore, this management support budget includes an anticipation should the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform approve it,” Pigai said during the presentation. Pigai stated he had already signed off on the addition of regional offices. He also admitted his ministry was facing human resources (HR) difficulties. “There is an addition of regional offices and I signed it last week before I went to Bali and NTT. Hopefully, God willing, and we also want to… we are experiencing HR difficulties, let’s be frank, this is for the interest of the nation and state,” Pigai said. Willy Aditya then responded specifically to the construction of these regional offices. He remarked that Minister Pigai is an activist who does not need an office. “Look, no need to build offices, no need. Our heavy lifting is in the streets, we are both activists, after all,” Willy said. He prohibited Pigai from constructing offices, stressing that Indonesia is not in a good condition. “Do not build offices, offices already exist. This is a burden on the state right now, the country is in crisis,” he stated. He urged Pigai to think progressively like President Prabowo Subianto and to avoid focusing on internal development. “Let’s think progressively. Mr Prabowo is already progressive, must we be conservative? That’s fine. For the sake of Great Indonesia, build its soul first, then its physical form. We share the same spirit. Do not prioritise internal services; show that when this is handled by an activist, it is done right,” he asserted. Minister Pigai responded to Willy’s criticism, stating that the Ministry of Human Rights is the only ministry that has never built its own regional offices. “Permit me to explain, the Ministry of Human Rights is the only ministry that has just formed regional offices without constructing a single building,” Pigai replied.