Sudirman Said Voices Leadership Crisis in Meeting with Jusuf Kalla (JK) and Several Figures

A cross-sector and cross-generational gathering was held at the residence of Jusuf Kalla (JK), the 10th and 12th Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, on Saturday (7 March 2026). The meeting, which took place at JK’s residence, became a forum for activists, academics, bureaucrats, and businesspeople to dissect the nation’s direction and voice concern over a leadership crisis that is affecting the archipelago. One of the meeting’s initiators, Sudirman Said, said the discussion arose from deep concern about the decline in leaders’ moral standards. As someone who has spent three decades in leadership education, the Rector of Universitas Harkat Negeri sees a fatal vacuum in intrinsic leadership. “What is missing is intrinsic leadership, leadership grounded in noble values such as integrity, vision, competence, wisdom, and the capacity to drive improvement,” Said stated. He explained that the presence of these figures aims to reconnect the heart of power with ethics. “JK is not someone by position at present, but he possesses intrinsic leadership because of his integrity,” he added. Legal expert Feri Amsari of Andalas University explained that there are two main reasons why the figures want to meet JK through Sudirman Said. First, JK’s experience as vice president, party leader, and peacemaker is considered important to discuss the global leadership crisis so that “disease” from outside does not enter the country. “Repeating Pak JK’s words, leaders should not rely solely on instinct and instant decisions,” Feri asserted. Second, they want to learn about the economic aspects of state administration as material for future improvements.