Teddy Responds to Saiful Mujani's Remarks: President Focuses on Major Issues
Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya has spoken out regarding political analyst Saiful Mujani’s criticism of President Prabowo Subianto. Saiful had previously stated that “toppling” or ousting President Prabowo is the way to save Indonesia.
Teddy Indra claimed he was unaware of what Saiful had said. “Wow, oh dear, I have so much work. I haven’t seen what he said,” Teddy remarked at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 April 2026.
Saiful Mujani has not only discussed the impeachment of Prabowo but has also criticised the President’s flagship programmes in the past.
For Saiful, programmes initiated by Prabowo such as free nutritious meals, village/sub-district cooperatives, people’s schools, and the Danantara Investment Management Agency are part of “pork barrel politics.” Pork barrel politics refers to the practice of allocating state funds to specific programmes in electoral districts to garner sympathy and voter support.
Teddy was also asked about Saiful’s statements regarding these pork barrel programmes. According to Teddy, Prabowo is also likely unaware of Saiful’s criticism. “Especially the President. The President deals with major issues and is focused on more strategic matters,” Teddy said.
Saiful Mujani, founder of Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), has been in the spotlight recently due to his statements about impeaching President Prabowo.
As the closing speaker at a halal bihalal forum for analysts titled “Before Analysts Are Silenced,” Saiful described Prabowo as not presidential. He assessed that Prabowo does not respond to advice for improvement.
“If advising Prabowo doesn’t work either. The only way is to topple him. That’s saving, not saving Prabowo, but saving ourselves and this nation,” Saiful said.
According to Saiful, the way to “topple” Prabowo cannot be done through formal procedures such as impeachment via the People’s Consultative Assembly on the proposal of the House of Representatives. For him, the only way is for society to consolidate to oust Prabowo. “In my view, the alternative is not through formal impeachment procedures like that. That won’t work,” Saiful said.
Saiful’s statement then went viral on social media after Senior Expert Staff at the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Ulta Levenia, reposted a video clip of it. Via her Instagram account @leveenia, Ulta called Saiful a “provocateur in academic clothing.”
She also called on the public to protect Indonesia from what she described as structured treason. “This is so scary, the provocation is extraordinary, this can be called treason,” Ulta wrote.