PSI Defends MBG Amidst Criticism from PDIP Regarding the Use of Education Funds
PANDEGLANG, KOMPAS.com - The daily chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Ahmad Ali, has affirmed that many schoolchildren, including their parents, depend on the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
Ali invited the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) to consider how many children would suffer if the MBG program were stopped due to its use of education funds.
He made these remarks in response to PDIP’s criticism, which argues that the education budget should be focused solely on education, not the MBG program.
“If we undermine this by raising issues about the funding, which comes from the state budget, and then we want to stop the program? If we stop it, do our friends in PDIP realize how many people will suffer? How many of our students have been relying on this MBG program every day?” Ali said when met in Pandeglang, Banten, on Thursday (February 26, 2026).
According to him, the most important thing now is for all parties to monitor the MBG program effectively.
“Especially Commission X of the DPR, to ensure that this program is not misdirected. That this program reaches the intended recipients. If it is still using some funds from the education budget, and the fiscal year has not yet begun, and its target is also for the benefit of students. For the benefit of schoolchildren. So it is still related to that condition,” he explained.
“So, for strategic government programs, let’s provide more support to the government to improve these programs so that they are more targeted. Rather than constantly criticizing,” Ali added.
He said that parents would be even more burdened if the MBG program were stopped.
For this reason, Ali invited PDIP to be more wise in overseeing government policies. He acknowledged that criticizing is an obligation, but providing solutions is more important.
“Our education system is running normally with the funds we have today. But this MBG is still a strategic program that is currently being tested and looking for a model. So it still needs a lot of support from us, from society. Because we believe that this program is very good for the benefit of students in the future,” said the former Nasdem official.
He said that the education budget in the 2026 state budget is IDR 769 trillion, which is a mandatory expenditure of 20 percent of the total state budget of IDR 3,842 trillion.
In that figure, Esti said, the allocation of the MBG budget of IDR 223.5 trillion is included, as stated in the appendix to the state budget.
Esti criticized that the education budget should be used for education only.
“Its position in this budget is still only 20 percent. So it is not that the education budget is increased by IDR 223 trillion and then becomes 30 percent, but it is added with the MBG managed by BGN, which still remains at 20 percent,” said Esti.
“This means that it does not increase the budget posture, but it should be allocated to the education budget. Automatically, from that statement, it is clear that the MBG budget from the state budget is indeed taken from the education budget,” he continued.
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