January 24, 2026 | 09:39 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is drafting a bill on the prevention of disinformation and foreign propaganda as a counter-propaganda tool against negative narratives directed at the country.
Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Correction, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, cited anti-palm oil propaganda as a reason for the regulation. "The goal is to prevent the planting of new palm oil because of this propaganda," Yusril stated in a video message obtained by Tempo.
Yusril asserted that certain foreign parties have seen their commercial interests threatened by Indonesia's massive palm oil output. "Their products are unable to compete with coconut oil, and especially not when compared to palm oil," he remarked.
Various other Indonesian sectors are also grappling with negative foreign propaganda that hinders their development. Yusril pointed to a smear campaign suggesting that fish caught in Indonesian waters are hazardous.
According to Yusril, such propaganda constitutes unhealthy competition. "What these foreign parties want is for our country to forever be an exporter of raw materials without producing anything," he said.
Consequently, Yusril argued that the government must establish counter-propaganda mechanisms to protect the reputation of domestic products. "Do we allow this to happen to us? I don't think so; we need to do something about it," he said.
Yusril previously noted that the bill is currently being handled by the Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas. "I haven't read it myself, so I can't answer any questions," Yusril explained in a brief message on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
However, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) argued that the drafting of this bill runs counter to the constitution. According to YLBHI, the government’s plan threatens to curtail the freedom of expression mandated under Articles 28F and 28E of the 1945 Constitution.
Amelia Rahima Sari contributed to the report
Read: YLBHI: Indonesia's Proposed Disinformation Bill Could Target Critical Voices
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