TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon announced that the draft of the rewritten Indonesian history, prepared by the Ministry of Culture's team, will be published on July 20, 2025. Alongside the history draft, the ministry will also reveal the list of writers and editors involved in the project.
“Now in the final writing process and possibly physical editing,” said Fadli to Tempo at the Ministry of Culture, Jakarta, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
Fadli added that the history draft will be tested publicly at universities across Indonesia.
“It will be tested publicly in universities. We invite everyone,” said the Gerindra Party politician.
Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, urged Fadli not to rush the rewriting process to ensure no historical facts are overlooked.
“Don't be in a rush, let's see how the historical facts are,” Puan said at the DPR Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Commission X of the House previously summoned Fadli on Wednesday, June 2, 2025 to discuss the rewriting process. In the meeting, Fadli was asked to address growing public concerns, particularly regarding missing historical events, such as the 1998 mass rapes, which were reportedly excluded from the draft. Fadli had previously suggested those events were merely rumors, citing a lack of evidence.
Before Commission X, Fadli explained that the goal of the project is to update untold narratives in Indonesian history and present a unifying and positive tone.
“So, our tone is also positive, developing including extraordinary achievements in the international arena such as the Asia-Africa Conference, the Non-Aligned Movement, and so on. We hope this history will be a unifier for the nation despite the differences,” he said.
Fadli stated that the rewrite is also meant to provide context from an Indonesian perspective for younger generations. He said the revision will address gaps in historical texts from the past 26 years, dating back to the B.J. Habibie presidency.
“These updates include archaeological findings, other historical discoveries, and a positive tone in our history, from an Indonesian point of view,” he said.
At the end of May, Fadli noted that the government plans to rewrite national history in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. The project involves 113 historians from across the country.
This plan was presented in an open meeting with Commission X on May 27, 2025, regarding the ministry’s strategic program.
Fadli emphasized that this is not a new initiative, but a continuation of the Ministry of Culture’s long-term mission. The rewritten history will be published in 10 volumes, covering the full span of Indonesian history, from prehistory to the era of President Joko Widodo.
The writing team consists of professors, doctors, and experts in history, archaeology, anthropology, and architecture, who are divided by historical periods. Each volume will have its own editor, along with one general editor overseeing the entire project.
This effort, Fadli explained, is aimed at making Indonesian history more objective and free from colonial bias.
“This writing is based on an Indonesia-centric perspective,” he said.
The final version of the history rewrite is targeted to be launched before August 17, 2025, to coincide with Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day celebration.
Dandi Bajuddin contributed to the writing of this article.
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