Megawati's Message on PDIP Lawsuit Against Zulfan Lindan
The Chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Megawati Soekarnoputri, has given a message to the party’s Central Executive Board Chair, Deddy Sitorus, regarding the lawsuit against former NasDem Party politician Zulfan Lindan. PDIP is suing Zulfan Lindan and PT Temukan Perspektif Indonesia, which oversees the Total Politik channel, for unlawful acts at the South Jakarta District Court.
PDIP claims it was harmed because statements made by Zulfan in a podcast aired on 9 February 2026 were deemed to spread defamation. Deddy was sent by Megawati to resolve the dispute before it went to court.
“She only asks that justice be upheld. She repeatedly sent me to mediate with Total Politik and with Zulfan Lindan,” he said when met at the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
PDIP objected to Zulfan Lindan’s remarks, in which he assumed the bull party was willing to attack the government by involving itself in the August 2025 demonstrations.
According to Zulfan, President Prabowo Subianto would always fulfil Megawati’s requests. The requests Zulfan referred to included returning Wisma Yaso, which is currently the Satria Mandala Museum, the sum of Rp 200 billion as compensation for the house of the first President Soekarno, and granting amnesty to free PDIP Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto so he could attend the party’s sixth congress.
Deddy denied Zulfan’s statements, particularly regarding the alleged request to return Wisma Yaso to the Soekarno family. The member of Commission II of the House of Representatives said Zulfan had thrown around slander without explaining the basis of his arguments, which ultimately hurt the Sukarno family.
“So there was never any story of begging. This touches on the family of Bung Karno, because we have never begged,” he said.
According to Deddy, legal action was taken after they failed to resolve the dispute through the Press Council. He said Zulfan and Total Politik reneged on their promise by not producing a public apology video.
“Because there was no goodwill despite our repeated invitations to mediate, and even with a Press Council ruling they did not care. They are all rather arrogant,” he said.
On Tuesday, 23 June 2026, a PDIP member named Abdul Rohman registered the lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court under case number 712/Pdt.G/2026/PN JKT.SEL. In addition to Zulfan Lindan and PT Temukan Perspektif Indonesia, PDIP is also suing Total Politik founders Arie Putra and Budi Adiputro.
Tempo sent questions on the matter to Zulfan Lindan and Total Politik founder Budi Adiputro, but neither has responded.
Based on the South Jakarta District Court’s case tracking information system, in its petitum the plaintiff demands that the panel of judges declare the defendants guilty of defamation and punish them by requiring a public apology. The plaintiff is also requesting that all videos related to this case be removed and is seeking damages of Rp 100 million.