House Speaker Pushes Government to Immediately Appoint Successor to Nutrition Agency Head

House Speaker Puan Maharani has urged the government to immediately appoint a replacement for Nanik Sudaryati Deyang as Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). She stated that the BGN is currently in the process of evaluating the management of this priority programme. “So, there should be a replacement as soon as possible,” she said when met at the DPR complex in Jakarta on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. She also responded to information suggesting that Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono is being tapped to replace Nanik. However, Puan admitted she was not yet aware of the developments regarding the successor to the BGN Head. She said she had only received a letter informing her of Nanik S. Deyang’s resignation due to health reasons. “I don’t know the latest developments yet,” said the Chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) central board. Nonetheless, she expressed hope that President Prabowo Subianto would appoint the best and most competent person to lead the BGN. “Hopefully, the replacement can evaluate and improve the performance of the BGN,” Puan said. Previously, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang announced her resignation as Head of BGN via her Facebook account. In the post, she cited health issues as the reason for stepping down. “It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to the President to seek medical treatment abroad for my heart condition; I plan to depart today,” she wrote in the caption on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. She stated that the decision to seek treatment overseas was not due to a lack of trust in Indonesian doctors. She explained the choice was intended as a second opinion, while also following a colleague’s recommendation regarding healthcare facilities in that country. Nanik said President Prabowo had approved her resignation. She noted the head of state was concerned and considered her health. “However, I was asked to continue overseeing the BGN,” Nanik said. She mentioned that the president would form a BGN Supervisory Board. Nanik is being prepared to become the chair of this supervisory board. “I can still nag, as long as it doesn’t involve handling money, I swear I’m acutely traumatised,” she said, adding a smiley emoji. Furthermore, she expressed her continued desire to fight and support Prabowo in efforts to improve people’s lives through the free nutritious meal project. Nanik claimed that Prabowo’s priority programme was not intended for political gain. In her post, Nanik also revealed details about her successor as Head of BGN. According to her, the figure is already considered a younger sibling. “I can tweak their ear if any irregularities occur,” she said.