Minister Ferry Addresses Criticism Over 'Red and White' Village Cooperative Locations

Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono has addressed a viral video on social media showing that the locations of several ‘Kopdes Merah Putih’ (Red and White Village Cooperatives) are considered unstrategic. Ferry stated that the government views the circulating narrative as public criticism and is open to listening and conducting evaluations.

“It is remarkable in this social media era. Their intentions are actually good, and they are reminding us that there are things that need to be evaluated,” Ferry told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 July 2026. “We will certainly take these inputs into consideration.”

Ferry emphasized that the government will seek solutions regarding the cooperative locations that have come under public scrutiny. “But we also have to look at it. For example, the buildings that went viral are only a few, and we will find a solution for them,” he said.

Previously, Ferry had stated that the number of public reports regarding unsuitable locations for the Kopdes Merah Putih was very small. “I have counted all the inputs from the public or on social media, and the number is less than 10 out of the 30,000 being built,” Ferry said during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday, 2 July 2026.

This statement was made following the circulation of videos showing several Kopdes Merah Putih in locations deemed less than strategic. Some posts showed cooperatives built on hillsides, facing rice fields, adjacent to other cooperatives, or even near cemeteries. According to Ferry, these findings only occurred in a very small number of locations and do not reflect the overall implementation of the Kopdes Merah Putih development programme.

Nevertheless, the government will follow up on every report through a verification and validation process before determining the next steps. He explained that the locations for the Kopdes Merah Putih were determined based on deliberations between the village community and the village government. If the verification results show that a location is indeed unsuitable, the government will hold further discussions with the community and the village head to find a solution.