Kalis Mardiasih and Her Family Intimidated After Criticising Free Nutritious Meals Programme
Women’s rights activist Kalis Mardiasih claims to have faced intimidation after vocally criticising the implementation of the free nutritious meals (MBG) programme. She states that the pressure has not only targeted her on social media but has also extended to her family.
Intimidation began after Kalis posted criticisms regarding mass poisoning cases resulting from the MBG programme in several regions.
“I spoke up, I wrote on Instagram and Facebook. What happened was that my nephew was contacted by his teacher, who asked, ‘Are you Kalis Mardiasih’s nephew?’” Kalis said during the Public Discussion: Free Nutritious Meals and Education event, held online by the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) on Monday, 4 May 2026.
For Kalis, the incident constitutes a form of terror. She views the response as evidence of pressure on her family for voicing criticism in public spaces. Kalis feels her family has been marked simply because she criticised the MBG programme on social media.
Yet, amid the proliferation of poisoning cases linked to MBG, she had hoped for expressions of concern or apologies from the government. She also hopes for steps to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Kalis is known as part of the “Suara Ibu Indonesia” civil society group in Yogyakarta. The group previously staged a symbolic “pothit pan” protest in the Universitas Gadjah Mada area in mid-2025 to protest the mass poisoning case in West Bandung, which at the time affected nearly 2,000 victims.
According to Kalis, nearly a year later, there is still no clarity on evaluation mechanisms or accountability for these cases. “We have never heard of a single person being held accountable,” she said.
She also revealed that similar cases have occurred not only in West Bandung but also in other regions such as Blora, Pati, Kudus, Grobogan, and Yogyakarta. In fact, she said, her own nephew was once a suspected poisoning victim and had to be hospitalised.
However, instead of official acknowledgements, Kalis believes some parties tend to deny the incidents. “They say it’s not poisoning, just diarrhoea. But that is part of the reaction to food poisoning,” she stated.
In addition to the alleged intimidation, Kalis criticised the design and governance of the MBG programme. She noted the absence of clear oversight mechanisms, both in terms of food safety and distribution. This, she said, has raised concerns among parents.
“As a mother, children should go to school feeling safe. But now there is worry because of this programme,” she said.
Tempo has sought a response from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, regarding the alleged intimidation faced by Kalis. However, as of this report, Dadan has not provided a response.