To Avoid 'Dancing Parliament' Repeat, 2026 MPR Session to Play Only National Songs
The organising committee for the MPR annual session has confirmed it has evaluated the playing of songs throughout the event to anticipate dancing by session participants on 14 August.
Mahyu Darma, Head of the Protocol, Public Relations and Media Bureau at the DPD RI Secretariat General, said the committee does not want dancing to recur and provoke public sentiment.
“We have evaluated it, perhaps we will not do it [play songs that invite dancing], actually, it is not that, indeed because the songs are what carry it, but we are also aware, and we continue to evaluate,” Mahyu said at the parliamentary complex on Wednesday (12/8).
According to him, the songs to be played during the event will be prioritised only for national and regional songs. However, these songs will be played outside the prepared event rundown.
According to Mahyu, the committee wants to ensure the event proceeds solemnly and represents a state occasion.
“So this is what we are doing, so that is our evaluation, so that the event is solemn, solemn in all its implementation,” he said.
On the other hand, Mahyu said the building decorations prepared for the annual session have also been made simple. He hopes this year’s MPR annual session will still be the best.
“Because Indonesia’s condition is also not like it used to be, and indeed, at this time, we want the decorations to remain good but simple,” he said.
Similarly, House Speaker Puan Maharani also claimed that the 2026 MPR annual session will proceed more solemnly. Puan said her side has introspected and will exercise greater self-restraint to focus more on following the state agenda.
“So God willing, on the day itself we will all certainly be more introspective, more solemn, and better able to restrain ourselves so we can focus more on following the state event,” Puan said after reviewing session preparations at the parliamentary complex.
Even so, she assessed that the public deserves to be happy and joyful in welcoming Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day.
According to Puan, the dancing at the 2025 MPR Annual Session, which later triggered a wave of mass demonstrations, occurred spontaneously due to the joyful atmosphere. Even so, all participants at that time remained solemn in following the session and the President’s speech.
“It was only when listening to the songs after the speech had finished, that was spontaneous. So there was nothing that made us seem disrespectful,” she said.
Previously, the behaviour of DPR members dancing during the MPR Annual Session and the Joint Session of the DPR and DPD became a public spotlight. Hundreds of legislators at Senayan danced along to the regional songs Sajojo and Fa Mi Re during the closing session held on Friday, 15 August 2025.
As a result of the dancing incident and the ‘stupid people’ statement, five DPR members were suspended, namely Ahmad Sahroni and Nafa Urbach from the NasDem faction, Deputy Speaker of the DPR Adies Kadir from the Golkar faction, Surya Utama or Uya Kuya, and Eko Patrio from the PAN faction.
However, all five members have now returned to active duty in the DPR RI.