Erry Riyana: The State Must Not Be Allergic to Criticism

Former Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, has reminded President Prabowo Subianto’s administration not to react sensitively to various criticisms voiced by different groups. He stated that criticism is a form of input and public concern for the government, so it should not be met with hypersensitivity, including labelling critics as unpatriotic or otherwise. “The state must not be allergic to criticism,” said Erry when met at the HDI Hive Menteng building in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 18 March 2026. He recounted that during his tenure as one of the anti-corruption commission’s leaders, diverse criticisms were frequently directed at the KPK from various quarters. However, he said, rather than viewing criticism as resistance, he and his colleagues at the KPK regarded it as a supplement to improve governance. “I don’t understand why our officials consider criticism as something oppositional, something frightening,” Erry remarked. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto stated that there are some observers who lack a patriotic attitude. He claimed that these observers gain financial benefits from their criticisms of the government. He even speculated on the motivations of his critics, suggesting they stem from defeat or loss of funding sources due to his administration’s firm stance against corruption. “Especially thieves and corruptors, they must feel the loss with our government. We want to bring order,” said Prabowo. Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, stated that the repeated terror and attacks targeting figures and civil society groups are not only due to poor handling of cases by law enforcement authorities. He explained that another factor contributing to the persistence of this impunity is the leadership style and policies of President Prabowo Subianto, who is allergic to criticism. Prabowo tends to desire uniformity in attitudes to support government policies. Prabowo’s allergy to critical voices, Usman continued, is further evident in several of his speeches where he frequently labels civil society groups, the press, or those with differing views from the government as foreign agents or unpatriotic. “These statements show that Prabowo’s mindset is the root of the current political chaos,” said Usman on 16 March 2026.