Saiful Mujani and the Nail Syndicate

History does not only record the stories of winners, but also of losers. For history is not only written in golden ink, but also in red ink—the colour that often records the dark figures of every era. In every civilisation, there are always figures who justify any means to achieve their goals. In Indonesia, the track record of these opportunistic groups has been recorded since the events of 1948 to 1965. However, now in the era of direct democracy, the opportunistic character is no longer solely the domain of politicians or oligarchs, but also of actors who claim to be academics yet operate as political businessmen under the guise of researchers. One of the most current examples is the manoeuvres of Saiful Mujani, owner of Saiful Mujani Research Consulting (SMRC). This figure, known as a student of William Liddle, has recently ignited controversy through provocative calls to topple President Prabowo Subianto. In the realm of democracy, differing opinions are a right. However, when opinions are laden with agitation and propaganda for the sake of personal project circulation gains, they turn into poison. Saiful Mujani is not a figure without interests. Since 2009, he has been a political consultant working for rupiah rewards as an opponent of Prabowo. For over a decade, Prabowo has consistently maintained the democratic climate despite always losing to Mujani’s clients. Prabowo has adhered to legitimate election instruments until the people’s mandate finally fell into his hands honestly and fairly in 2024. Ironically, Mujani’s clients’ first defeat in the direct presidential election era appears to have impacted his business ‘kitchen’. When access to government and SOE projects dims, logic increasingly turns into sentiment. The pattern used by Saiful Mujani resembles that of a syndicate spreading nails on highways. Nails are scattered by rogue elements who are ready to offer tyre repair services on the roadside. Mujani scatters ‘nails’ in the form of ideas for overthrowing power, while hoping he can once again offer his political consultancy services, which are now starting to lose market and, moreover, quality.