Habib Rizieq Freezes TPUA Leadership — What Are the Reasons?

Jakarta, VIVA — Activist Eggi Sudjana has revealed that the leadership of the Team for the Defence of Ulama and Activists (TPUA) has been frozen.

Eggi said the freeze was carried out directly by Habib Rizieq Shihab, the founder and patron of the TPUA organisation.

Initially, Eggi explained, he and the secretary-general, Damai Hari Lubis (DHL), were summoned by Habib Rizieq Shihab to his residence in Petamburan, Jakarta.

“On Sunday, 15 February 2026, Prof Eggi Sudjana and DHL were called by Habib Rizieq to Petamburan III, where we met with him,” he told reporters on Wednesday, 18 February 2026.

During the meeting, Eggi said there were discussions regarding internal turmoil within the TPUA organisation.

Habib Rizieq then decided to freeze the TPUA leadership. Eggi, who had previously served as TPUA chairman, said he accepted the decision wholeheartedly.

“There were two issues — first, the turmoil within the TPUA. Second, as the founder and patron of the TPUA, Habib Rizieq has temporarily frozen the TPUA leadership and withdrawn the mandate, so to speak,” he said.

“And I, together with DHL, willingly handed it over, as DHL is the secretary-general under me,” Eggi added.

Eggi dismissed suggestions that he had been sacked by Habib Rizieq Shihab, describing such claims as misleading.

“There should be no impression that we were sacked by Habib Rizieq or anything of the sort — that is misleading and does not reflect what actually happened,” Eggi concluded.