Gibran’s efforts with student protesters emphasize his role in government

JAKARTA – Just days after taking to the streets of Jakarta to demand changes in government policy, Five university students boarded a plane with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka for a working visit to eastern Indonesia on June 18.

The trip came three days after Gibran held a closed-door meeting with protesting student representatives. against two of the government’s most ambitious and controversial initiatives – free meals and the red and white cooperative programs, the latter a plan to create thousands of village-run businesses across Indonesia.

In a statement released by the Vice President’s Office after the meeting, Bung Karno University student leader Muhammad Abdi Maludin said Gibran responded positively to students’ concerns and research findings on these issues.

“The vice president is open and receptive to the results of the study. He will audit and consolidate them. He will brief the leaders, especially President Prabowo Subianto,” he said.

But not everyone was convinced. Reactions to Gibran’s Instagram post about the meeting were mixed, with some commenters questioning the choice of students invited to the palace. The students came from Bung Karno University and Mohammad Husni Thamrin University, private universities in Jakarta less well-known than the campuses traditionally at the forefront of Indonesian student protests.

One commenter, @wahyu3sunu, wrote that involving students from Indonesia’s biggest universities would have made the engagement more authentic.

“At least it would look organic,” the commenter said. Another commenter, @tomy_hanta, described the meeting as a “spectacle.”

The student efforts have put the 38-year-old vice president in the spotlight at a time when student-led protests have spread across parts of Indonesia and scrutiny of the government’s flagship programs has intensified.

“The character presented is that of a vice president who is communicative and willing to engage with students and ordinary citizens – a small victory that he cultivates early on by capitalizing on the current momentum. said Nicky Fahrizal, a researcher at the Jakarta-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

“The clear political target is the 2029 election window,” Nicky added, referring to the upcoming Indonesian presidential election. Some have speculated that Gibran might run again, although he has not publicly stated his intention to do so.

While Gibran’s moves are unlikely to result in major policy changes, given the vice president’s limited authority and the established place of these programs on the government’s agenda, analysts say they could help raise his profile and strengthen his influence.

By directly addressing critics, analysts say Gibran is seeking to position himself as a bridge between public concerns and government policy, while carving out a more distinct role within the administration in anticipation of potential future policy decisions.

The government’s free meals program has come under increasing scrutiny following allegations of corruption within the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). In early June, the head of the agency, Dadan Hindayana, was replaced and then arrested alongside two former deputies as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in public procurement.

During a visit to a primary school in East Nusa Tenggara On June 18, during his four-day trip, Gibran acknowledged the shortcomings of the free meals program and called for improvements to its governance following the recent scandal.

He also asked officials to accelerate implementation of the program in areas where supporting infrastructure has already been completed, and promised to address local concerns.

Gibran’s actions appear to be a “deliberate strategy” to quell public anger, said Edbert Gani Suryahudaya, a researcher at CSIS’s Department of Politics and Social Change.

However, he added that it was unlikely they could bring about big changes.

Since taking office alongside Prabowo in October 2024, the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo has often struggled to define his role.

Although he is linked to high-profile missions such as the development of Papua and the new capital Nusantara, he has remained largely on the sidelines of major policy decisions, analysts say.

Unlike some of his predecessors, he has not been given a major policy portfolio, while many of the government’s flagship programs are overseen directly by ministries, agencies and civil servants who report to the president.

In the case of the free meals and the Red and White Cooperative initiatives, analysts interviewed by ST agree that Gibran’s real influence on the programs remains limited.

The BGN reports directly to the president, while Red and White Cooperative initiatives are coordinated by multiple ministries and agencies as a presidential priority program.

Irman Lanti, of Padjadjaran University, said Gibran’s growing visibility around the two initiatives does not necessarily mean he played a significant role in their development.

“All indications are that Gibran was not involved in the free meals and cooperative programs, which are apparently more under the control of the military and police,” Irman said.

Irman said the vice president’s latest moves appeared aimed at demonstrating his relevance. “Gibran is trying to prove his worth by taking advantage of the student protests of recent weeks,” he added.

He also questioned whether engaging with students represented a genuine attempt to engage critiques.

On June 23, local media outlet Kompas reported that a student leader from Bung Karno University who attended the meeting with Gibran admitted to receiving 20 million rupiah (S$1,444) afterward.

Separately, another media outlet TribunNews reported that day that other students who attended the meeting admitted to having received sums ranging from 2 million rupees to 2.5 million rupees. The source and purpose of the money remains unclear and the presidential palace has said it is investigating the allegations.

“It was obvious that Gibran’s decision was carefully orchestrated,” he said, emphasizing that the students invited to the palace did not represent Indonesia’s largest campuses.

Noting how much public criticism has recently been directed at the government and everyone involved in it, Edbert, the CSIS researcher, said the vice president appears to be relying on relatively “simple” means to gain public attention.

“For him, the strategy is to stay relevant and keep the public’s attention by using the least expensive options,” he said.. “This performative act with the students makes it relatively easy for him to get people’s attention.”

This approach has drawn comparisons to the “blusukan” style popularized by Widodo, a form of grassroots outreach involving impromptu visits to communities and direct engagement with ordinary Indonesians.

Analysts said this political style of direct engagement with citizens and a carefully cultivated image of approachability helped propel Widodo from low-ranking politician to mayor of Surakarta in 2005, governor of Jakarta in 2012 and to the presidency in 2014.

Edbert said Gibran’s political position remains strongly linked to that of his father.

Gibran’s vice presidential bid became possible after a controversial 2023 court ruling created an exception to the minimum age requirement for presidential and vice presidential candidates, allowing elected regional leaders under the age of 40 to run.

He was later chosen as Prabowo’s running mate, with Widodo widely seen as supporting the pair despite his party’s support for a rival candidate.

“I think his political currency is still largely based on his father’s image and legacy, rather than his own abilities,” Edbert said.

“Moreover, he failed to establish his own political base.”

While the comparison between father and son is understandable, Nicky said Gibran lacked the long experience in public office that had underpinned his father’s credibility.

“But it can shape public perception of these programs, highlight implementation problems and put informal pressure on those who run them,” he added.

“This type of influence is real but limited: it is the soft power of communication, and not the hard power of the executive. authority.”