DPR Urges Student Supporters of Free Nutritious Meal Programme Not to Disrupt Learning

Jakarta – Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Lalu Hadrian Irfani, has urged that actions supporting the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme should not disrupt students’ duties at school. He made the statement in response to a parade supporting MBG in front of the Mayor’s Office and Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in Batam, Riau Islands, on Sunday, 21 June 2026. “We must ensure that movements like this do not affect the teaching and learning process, and do not disturb our students from carrying out their actual duties at school,” Lalu said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. According to him, students’ aspirations can be conveyed through the school. Headteachers or teachers can forward students’ aspirations to the local education office, which can then coordinate with the National Nutrition Agency. “We do not want these students to take to the streets. It is enough to convey it through the school,” he stated. Regarding the parade in support of MBG in Batam, the legislator overseeing education affairs admitted he was surprised. He also requested that the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education verify the information. Apart from that, Lalu viewed the student-involved action supporting MBG as a phenomenon of concern. He said those who have experienced the benefits of MBG are worried that the programme might be discontinued. “My colleagues and I in Commission X see a phenomenon of concern that the MBG programme will be stopped. The benefits of MBG are actually very important if managed properly, if the existing kitchens truly implement the standards and technical guidelines provided by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN),” he said. Previously, the Batam City Education Office confirmed that members of the public held a parade supporting the continuation of the MBG programme in the city centre on Sunday, 21 June 2026. The parade, held in front of the Batam Mayor’s Office and the Batam DPRD, was attended by hundreds of parents and students from various sub-districts in Batam City. Head of the Batam City Education Office, Hendri Arulan, said the activity served as a platform to accommodate the aspirations and hopes of parents who had previously been worried when the implementation of MBG was halted. According to Hendri, MBG is a strategic government programme aimed at improving the nutritional quality of students while supporting the teaching and learning process in schools.