Scandal: Top Officials Mocks UGM Student Leader with Monkey Emojis over Free Meal Programme Criticism

Outrage! Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency Mocks UGM Student Union Leader Who Criticises the Free Nutritious Meal Programme with Monkey Emojis

• Special Report

VIVA – The Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), in charge of Operational Nutrition Provision, Inspector General of Police Sony Sonjaya, appears to have made inappropriate comments on social media.

These inappropriate comments were found on the Instagram account @jogjastudent, posted on 14 February 2026.

The post featured a video of Tiyo Ardianto, Chairman of the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) Student Executive Board, delivering a speech in which he strongly criticised the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme.

The young man loudly questioned the urgency of the MBG programme, which targets 82 million Indonesian children. He cited data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) which stated that the poverty rate is less than 10 per cent. According to him, if this logic is applied, the recipients of MBG should not include all children, but only about 9 per cent.

He then accused the programme of being a project. In his statement, he mentioned that one owner of an SPPG (School-Based Nutrition Improvement Programme) or foundation could earn around Rp100 million to Rp125 million per month.

“Those who can own an SPPG do so not through a democratic mechanism, but through connections,” said Tiyo.

At the end of his speech, he reiterated his criticism, stating that the MBG programme is not a free nutritious meal programme, but rather a “thief disguised as a nutritionist”.

In the comments section of the post, Inspector General Sony Sonjaya also voiced his opinion. He stated that the MBG programme has reached more than tens of millions of recipients.

“WHO CARES??? It has provided meals to 60 million toddlers, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and students, it has absorbed more than 1 million workers, it has absorbed agricultural products, garden produce, fish farming products, livestock products… well… what has the speaker achieved??… in the end,” wrote Sonny, then continued by sending three monkey emojis.

Sony’s comment immediately attracted the attention of internet users. Many called him arrogant and anti-criticism.

“This is a form of arrogance (not accepting criticism), feeling untouchable… everything has its time… learn from Nepal,” commented one internet user.

“Your salary is paid by the person you are insulting with monkey emojis!!!!,” wrote another internet user.