Free Nutritious Meal Programme Partners to Stage Mass Rally at Patung Kuda on Wednesday
A number of partners and volunteers of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme plan to stage a mass rally at the Patung Kuda area in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (8/7/2026). The mass group, assembled under the Presidium of Volunteers, Partners, and Sympathisers Supporting the Continuation of MBG, claims the action will be attended by one million people.
The presidium’s coordinator, Ahmad Yazdi, stated that the rally is a form of support for the continuation of the MBG programme amidst various recent polemics. The participants are said to include workers from the nutrition fulfilment service unit (SPPG) kitchens, partners, suppliers, volunteers, farmers, and beneficiaries’ parents.
"The masses are not only from Jakarta, West Java, and Banten, but also from Lampung, South Sumatra, Aceh, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi," he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday (6/7/2026). He stated that the action aims to show that the MBG programme, which has been running in various regions, receives broad support from the community, especially from those directly involved in its implementation.
During the rally, the presidium is bringing four demands. Firstly, to support the continuation of the MBG programme as a strategic programme to realise the Golden Generation 2045 while promoting equitable economic distribution for the people.
Secondly, to urge the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to immediately facilitate a focus group discussion involving all stakeholders, including partners, suppliers, and volunteers. They claim they have not been involved by the BGN in discussions on improving programme governance.
Thirdly, to ask the government to accelerate the operation of SPPG kitchens in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions. They argue that MBG services in 3T areas have not yet been implemented, meaning the goal of national nutritional equity has not been achieved.
Lastly, they are also urging the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately draft a law on the MBG programme. The existence of such a law is considered necessary to provide a legal foundation for the programme and legal certainty for all parties involved in the MBG ecosystem.
On the occasion, Yazdi addressed the issue of alleged paid masses that had recently been widely discussed. According to him, it is only natural for volunteers coming to Jakarta to be provided with transportation costs. "If people want to come and voice their aspirations but do not have the fare, of course they should be given it," he said.