Raffi Ahmad apologizes for controversial youth declaration appearance

Raffi Ahmad, the Special Envoy to the President for Youth and Arts Development, has issued a public apology following his attendance at the 2026 Indonesia Youth Summit (Deklarasi Sumpah Pemuda Mahasiswa Indonesia) in Jakarta on October 29, 2026.

The event, organized by the Polda Metro Jaya, drew intense public scrutiny and social media backlash due to allegations that some participants claiming to be students were not actually students. Critics also noted the timing of the event, which occurred a day after local student demonstrations had been restricted by police.

In a video clarification posted to Instagram, Ahmad stated he attended solely as an invited guest with sincere intentions to support youth activities. He noted that he only received information about the event the night before and was not involved in its planning or the verification of attendees. Ahmad acknowledged that while his intentions were good, he must be more diligent in verifying the context and details of events before participating in public roles.