Several Civic Figures Attend a Screening of the Film 'Pesta Babi'; Their Reactions

The state’s function is seen as decaying into acute rot. From what should be an instrument for distributing prosperity and delivering justice for all, it has become an electoral machine. That machine is steered by elites through the lust for power and their inexhaustible greed. That was the main thread of criticism by several civil society figures in Jakarta at a watch-along (nobar) and discussion of the film ‘Pesta Babi’, on Wednesday evening (20 May 2026).

Sudirman Said, chair of the Institute Harkat Negeri, highlighted chronic signs of the deteriorating orientation of power today. Public policy and even the appointment of officials are deemed deliberately manipulated to serve electoral interests, rather than the people.

“There are acute signs: the state — once an instrument for distributing prosperity and creating justice — has been reduced to an electoral machine,” Sudirman said.

Sudirman questioned the direction of current budget policy which he considers is no longer inclusive.

“Why is there environmental destruction in Papua as in the film ‘Pesta Babi’? Electoral. Why is MBG? Electoral. Why is KDMP? Electoral. The APBN is allocated, but not for all the people. Officials are appointed, not to serve the people,” he asserted.

Seeing the paralysis of almost all formal institutions, particularly the DPR and political parties, Sudirman urged civil society and the younger generation to quickly close ranks.

“Shall we accept it? Not at all. Not by fighting, but by organising ourselves, preparing for the future. The DPR is paralysed, the parties are paralysed; that is a wake-up call for civil society to rise and unite. Through this forum, it is time to reorganise,” he insisted.

That condition was underscored by the tangled state of political funding. Former Perludem Executive Director Annisa Nur Agustyati dissected how the high costs of politics push elites to employ extractive-exploitative methods to repay donors.

“We can see, electorally, how political elites obtain funding. Because political costs are high, exploitative-extractive methods are used. Political funds from businessmen who are not offered for free are repaid in kind by politicians to those who fund them,” Annisa said.