Muhammad Qodari Defends UGM Dialogue, MBG Program Amid Student Protest

Muhammad Qodari, head of Indonesia’s Government Communication Agency (Bakom), said the interruption of a dialogue session at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) on 15 June was an “anomaly” in campus democracy. The event, attended by Vice Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning Nusron Wahid and Head of the Poverty Acceleration Agency Budiman Sudjatmiko, ran smoothly for about 45 minutes before a group of students stormed the stage, displayed protest banners and forced the discussion to be dissolved.

Qodari stressed that democratic practice requires dialogue, not the shutdown of forums, and urged that disagreements be addressed through alternative discussions. He also rejected student demands to halt the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, noting it is a presidential priority aimed at reducing stunting and cannot be discontinued.

Separately, Qodari responded to allegations by former UGM BEM chief Tiyo Ardianto that a GPS tracker had been placed on a vehicle. He described physical tracking devices as outdated, explained that modern tracking relies on software, and said no evidence yet identifies who installed any such device, calling for a proper police investigation.