Formappi Questions Ahmad Sahroni's Appointment as Commission III Deputy Chair
Formappi (Forum Masyarakat Peduli Parlemen Indonesia) researcher Lucius Karus has assessed that the appointment of Ahmad Sahroni as Deputy General Chair of Commission III is problematic. He argues that Sahroni's status as an inactive member of the House of Representatives (DPR) should still be in effect, calculated from the date of his deactivation by the NasDem Party as per the decision of the House Ethics Council (MKD).
He explained that the MKD ruling in November imposed a six-month deactivation sanction on Sahroni, counted from when NasDem, his party, issued the deactivation letter on 31 August 2025. Meanwhile, Sahroni's appointment as Deputy Chair of Commission III was decided on 19 February. This means, he said, approximately two weeks of the punishment period remain.
On the other hand, Lucius added that DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, who chaired the plenary session confirming Sahroni's appointment, did not clarify when the six-month punishment period would end. Dasco stated that Sahroni had already returned to active status when approached after the meeting, but declined to explain in greater detail the calculation of the sanction's implementation timeline.
According to Lucius, the appointment amid uncertainty over the ethics sanction timeline demonstrates the increasingly chaotic state of the DPR. "There is a sense that the DPR is beginning to act as it pleases in carrying out its duties. The DPR is increasingly failing to represent the people," he told Tempo on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Beyond the question of his status as an inactive DPR member, Lucius argued that the decision to return Sahroni to a commission leadership seat is also ethically flawed. He noted that Sahroni's poor track record, including statements that provoked public anger and triggered demonstrations last August, cannot be disregarded even if the punishment period has ended.
He stressed that the DPR is not a primary school association where compliance merely means following explicitly written rules. The DPR, he said, should not only refer to regulations but also weigh the ethics of a decision along with the controversy surrounding it.
He said the DPR is fundamentally a dignified institution, as is a commission leadership seat. Therefore, such a position should be given to someone who has never been found by the MKD to have ethical violations. "Granting a position to those who have been found to have ethical problems is tantamount to insulting the dignity of the parliamentary institution," he said.
Lucius is of the view that Sahroni's problematic appointment as Deputy Chair of DPR Commission III demonstrates that the institution has become weak and is increasingly controlled by the interests of certain groups. "How can all DPR members, all parties, and even the MKD that issued the ruling against Sahroni, remain completely silent when Sahroni is suddenly given a Commission III seat again," he said.
Sahroni was appointed as Deputy Chair of Commission III representing NasDem to replace Rusdi Masse Mappasessu during a plenary meeting in the Commission III hearing room at the DPR Complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
NasDem Deputy Chairman Saan Mustopa also claimed that his party followed the sanction enforcement mechanism established by the MKD. He expressed confidence that the MKD had granted permission for Sahroni to return to work at Senayan.
"So if the DPR leadership has confirmed it, then the MKD must have had no objections," said Saan at the DPR on Thursday.
He explained that the MKD ruling in November imposed a six-month deactivation sanction on Sahroni, counted from when NasDem, his party, issued the deactivation letter on 31 August 2025. Meanwhile, Sahroni's appointment as Deputy Chair of Commission III was decided on 19 February. This means, he said, approximately two weeks of the punishment period remain.
On the other hand, Lucius added that DPR Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, who chaired the plenary session confirming Sahroni's appointment, did not clarify when the six-month punishment period would end. Dasco stated that Sahroni had already returned to active status when approached after the meeting, but declined to explain in greater detail the calculation of the sanction's implementation timeline.
According to Lucius, the appointment amid uncertainty over the ethics sanction timeline demonstrates the increasingly chaotic state of the DPR. "There is a sense that the DPR is beginning to act as it pleases in carrying out its duties. The DPR is increasingly failing to represent the people," he told Tempo on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
Beyond the question of his status as an inactive DPR member, Lucius argued that the decision to return Sahroni to a commission leadership seat is also ethically flawed. He noted that Sahroni's poor track record, including statements that provoked public anger and triggered demonstrations last August, cannot be disregarded even if the punishment period has ended.
He stressed that the DPR is not a primary school association where compliance merely means following explicitly written rules. The DPR, he said, should not only refer to regulations but also weigh the ethics of a decision along with the controversy surrounding it.
He said the DPR is fundamentally a dignified institution, as is a commission leadership seat. Therefore, such a position should be given to someone who has never been found by the MKD to have ethical violations. "Granting a position to those who have been found to have ethical problems is tantamount to insulting the dignity of the parliamentary institution," he said.
Lucius is of the view that Sahroni's problematic appointment as Deputy Chair of DPR Commission III demonstrates that the institution has become weak and is increasingly controlled by the interests of certain groups. "How can all DPR members, all parties, and even the MKD that issued the ruling against Sahroni, remain completely silent when Sahroni is suddenly given a Commission III seat again," he said.
Sahroni was appointed as Deputy Chair of Commission III representing NasDem to replace Rusdi Masse Mappasessu during a plenary meeting in the Commission III hearing room at the DPR Complex in Jakarta on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
NasDem Deputy Chairman Saan Mustopa also claimed that his party followed the sanction enforcement mechanism established by the MKD. He expressed confidence that the MKD had granted permission for Sahroni to return to work at Senayan.
"So if the DPR leadership has confirmed it, then the MKD must have had no objections," said Saan at the DPR on Thursday.