West Java Lingkar 98 Consolidates, Affirms Support for President's Populist Programmes
The 1998 activists of the West Java (Jabar) 98 Circle, alongside the 98 Resolution Network, held a consolidation meeting in Bandung. The exponents of the ’98 movement invited reform actors to reflect on the 28 years of reformation and their contributions to Indonesia’s political democracy.
The West Java 98 Circle and the 98 Resolution Network assessed that the ‘98 movement still faces shortcomings, particularly as political democratisation has not progressed in tandem with economic democratisation. They argued that this imbalance results in a ’pseudo-democracy’.
“When natural resources are controlled by a small group known as ‘serakahnomic’ during the reformation era, it effectively hijacks both political democracy and the livelihoods of the masses,” stated Agus Teddy Sumantari, spokesperson for the 98 Resolution Network, in a written statement on Monday (6/7/2026).
He emphasised that the democratic system must be based on socio-democracy, rather than a Western-style liberal democracy that only guarantees freedom at the ballot box. “Western-style democracy ignores the people’s access to the nation’s wealth. Yet, constitutionally, under Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, the state’s natural resources are managed by the state to increase the welfare of its people,” added Teddy.
In light of this, the group presented eight points of view and stances. First, the West Java 98 Circle and the 98 Resolution Network fully support President Prabowo Subianto’s mandate to seize the assets of corruptors to fund public subsidies. This is evidenced by recent seizures of funds from various corruption cases.
“To ensure a deterrent effect, we urge law enforcement to impose heavy sentences on corruptors involved in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, including a minimum of life imprisonment, as they have betrayed the people, the state, and the trust placed in them by President Prabably,” said Teddy.
Second, Teddy noted that the approach to eradicating corruption is now more progressive, targeting corruption in state revenue, natural resource management, and the abuse of concession permits. “The government has prevented revenue leakages through miss-invoicing practices, estimated at Rp 100 trillion per year, and transfer pricing of around Rp 75 trillion per year,” explained Teddy.
Third, Teddy stated that in line with the demands for agrarian reform and Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, President Prabowo has established the Forest Area Order Task Force (Satgas PKH) through Presidential Regulation Number 5 of 2025 to regulate illegal forest occupation and collect administrative fines. “The Satgas PKH has seized 5,901,512.89 hectares of land (comprising 5.88 million hectares of palm oil and 12,371.58 hectares of mining), which will be redistributed for management by the people through cooperatives. We call on the government to promote transparency in its management,” said Teddy.
Fourth, the group urged all stakeholders to embody President Prabowo’s spirit in upholding Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, calling on state managers to uphold efficiency and anti-corruption. “We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure no one abuses the President’s good intentions by simply shifting leakages from one area to another,” said Teddy.
Fifth, Teddy noted that President Prabowo has restructured the State Budget (APBN) as a tool for struggle to protect the people and ensure prosperity. He stated the President has overhauled corruptive spending and stagnant regional transfer funds, reallocating them to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. He strongly criticised neoliberal critics who label these people-centred programmes as ‘burning the budget’ or distorting the market.
“Following the exposure of corruption cases within the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), we request the government to immediately evaluate its governance,” added Teddy.
Sixth, the group dismissed claims that the education budget is being reduced to fund the MBG programme. Seventh, they expressed respect for all forms of criticism against the government. Teddy noted that President Prabowo has proven himself open to corrections regarding alleged mismanagement in the MBG programme, but observed an anomaly in current social movements that adopt a neoliberal mindset.
“Some parties question welfare budgets and accuse the strengthening of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as an economic driver for the people of distorting the market,” said Teddy.
Finally, in facing geopolitical pressures that weaken the national economy, they called on all elements of the nation to strengthen unity and brotherhood in a peaceful atmosphere. He stated that the political democracy achieved must serve as a tool to accelerate the equitable distribution of welfare. “We will remain active in opening dialogues to explain the direction of President Prabowo’s strategic programmes and oversee their implementation,” explained Teddy.
The West Java 98 Circle and the 98 Resolution Network also support the government in continuing pro-people programmes, such as the Fishermen’s Village, Free Nutritious Meals, Food Self-Sufficiency, and the Merah Putih Cooperative. “However, we remind policymakers to ensure programme governance is accountable, transparent, and responsible,” concluded Teddy.