Indonesian Muaythai Dualism Enters Administrative Court, Plaintiff Challenges Ministerial Decree
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Muaythai Grand Board (PBMI) led by General Chairman Nadim Al Farell has officially filed a state administrative lawsuit against the Minister of Law of the Republic of Indonesia at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).
According to the Jakarta PTUN Case Tracking Information System, the lawsuit was registered on 13 July 2026 under Case Number 245/G/2026/PTUN.JKT and classified as a legal entity dispute.
Lawyer for the Nadim Al Farell faction, Yunus Adhi Prabowo, in Jakarta on Tuesday, questioned two decisions by the Minister of Law approving changes to the articles of the Amateur Indonesian Muaythai Association.
“Both decrees were issued for the same association, governing substantially similar articles of association changes, and both stemmed from the minutes of the extraordinary national congress dated 10 April 2026. The fact that they were issued only five days apart, three of which were public holidays, is considered to create uncertainty over which decision is valid and binding,” said Yunus.
The plaintiffs are asking the PTUN to examine the issuance of these decisions in terms of authority, procedure, substance, and compliance with the General Principles of Good Governance.
In particular, the plaintiffs highlighted the principles of legal certainty and thoroughness in document review before approval of articles of association changes is granted.
Yunus said that at least 30 Provincial Muaythai Boards had previously submitted a motion of no confidence against the leadership of PBMI General Chairman AA La Nyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, which was followed instead by the suspension of the provincial boards that submitted the motion, as well as the appointment of an interim daily chief on grounds of discretion.
“We must emphasise that discretion may in principle be exercised if it is not regulated in the articles of association/bylaws. However, if it is regulated, it must comply with them. Ultimately, a national working meeting and extraordinary national congress were held by PB MI at the Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta, on Friday (10 April 2026), which unanimously re-elected AA La Nyalla Mahmud Mattalitti as PB MI General Chairman for the 2026-2030 term,” said Yunus.
Meanwhile, regarding the provincial boards frozen by PBMI and the interim decree, none of them stated that the Provincial Muaythai Board decrees had been revoked, so the provincial boards’ decrees remained definitively valid for holding an extraordinary national congress on 25 April 2026 at the Osaka Hotel, PIK 2.
That congress elected Nadim Al Farell as General Chairman, Muhammad Lutfi Agizal as Secretary General, and Suniani Kasim as Treasurer General.
The plaintiffs stressed that the internal conflict was not raised merely so the PTUN could determine which party has the right to lead the organisation.
The conflict is positioned as an administrative fact which, according to the plaintiffs, should have been known and verified by the Ministry of Law before the decisions approving the articles of association changes were issued.
“Because the use of the decrees while the review is ongoing could give rise to further organisational and administrative decisions that would be increasingly difficult to reverse should the lawsuit ultimately be upheld,” said Lutfi.
The risks mentioned include the replacement of regional boards, the issuance of new organisational decisions, further administrative changes, and the use of the board’s legitimacy in national sporting agendas.
The plaintiffs also linked the situation to athlete development, championship selection, and the management of ongoing sports funds, noting that disbursement of funds to an unauthorised party could constitute suspected corruption.
In line with this request, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI), the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI), and sports budget management agencies are being urged to temporarily suspend disbursements that depend on recognition of the PBMI leadership.