Issue of Shop Closures Due to Kopdes Merah Putih Is a Hoax, Says Zulhas

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan and Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto have firmly denied allegations circulating on social media that the presence of the Kopdes Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative) will lead to the closure of small grocery shops. Both officials labelled the narrative a hoax and stressed that the programme is specifically designed to assist micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) and local traders. Amid the government’s ongoing efforts to promote the Kopdes Merah Putih programme, false information has spread claiming that the government intends to shut down village grocery shops, including a fabricated rule prohibiting their operation within a two-kilometre radius of a cooperative. Speaking at a national seminar in Makassar, Zulkifli Hasan refuted the claims, stating that small shops would instead be able to deposit their goods for sale through the cooperative and utilise it for nationwide promotion. He described the hoax as a malicious act intended to cause public unrest, noting that the false information was generated using artificial intelligence. Minister Yandri Susanto also moved to correct the record, urging village heads and officials to help clarify that the narratives on social media are completely unfounded.