Protesters After Meeting VP: Demands Noted by Gibran in a Small Notebook
Action Coordinator for Students and Chairman of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Law at Bung Karno University, Muhammad Abdi, revealed the outcome of a dialogue with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday (15/6).
“He will note the results of our demands in his small notebook, noting the points that the Vice President must address going forward to improve and evaluate all irregularities in the country today. Of course, the Free Nutritious Meal programme (MBG) and the Deputy for Food Sovereignty policy (KDMP),” said Abdi.
Abdi stated that BEM UBK has given the government a deadline of 5 x 24 hours, until 19 June 2026, to realise their aspirations. He said that if they are not realised, they will stage another protest.
He explained that several points of the agreement contain fiscal and education clusters, focusing on temporarily freezing the implementation of the free nutritious meal programme and the food sovereignty deputy policy in the relevant regions for a transparency audit.
“The second sub-point is to redirect the budget efficiency to subsidise tuition fees (UKT) or higher education operational costs in order to realise affordable education,” he said.
The next point concerns the monetary and energy crisis cluster.
“And here there is a point urging the central monetary authority to intervene to stabilise the Rupiah and cancel the policy of increasing Pertamax fuel prices at the regional level because it has proven to destroy the domestic purchasing power of the people,” he stated.
At the same time, Acting Secretary to the Vice President, Al Muktabar, conveyed that Gibran appreciated what the student representatives had expressed. He said this is part of the democratic system adopted by Indonesia. He also stated that Gibran will convey these aspirations to President Prabowo Subianto.
“Of course, the Vice President and the President have a working mechanism that will be conveyed at certain opportunities according to the available time,” he said.