JAKARTA: Public support in Indonesia has grown for comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono (pc), who was reported to the police for incitement and blasphemy, sparking a debate on whether Indonesia is prepared for political satire.
Pandji was reported last week to the Jakarta Police by groups billing themselves as the youth wings of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s two largest Islamic organisations, over material in his two-hour stand-up comedy special Mens Rea.
Released on Netflix on Dec 27, 2025, the show features Pandji’s satirical commentary on the 2024 general election, post-election politics and the state of Indonesia’s democracy. Since its release, the show has topped the streaming platform’s most-watched list in the country.
The complainants accused Mens Rea of containing defamatory statements that implied NU and Muhammadiyah had accepted mining concessions from the government in exchange for supporting a certain presidential candidate pair in the last election.
The government regulation, which allowed all religious groups to manage state-owned mines, was signed in 2024 by then president Joko Widodo, who tacitly supported presidential ticket and eventual winners Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Jokowi’s oldest son.
The police report against Pandji has since drawn criticism from fellow comedians, civil society groups and law experts, who view it as an attempt to criminalise satire and curb free speech.
Veteran actor and comedian Indrodjojo Kusumonegoro of the legendary comedy group Warkop expressed his regret that a comedy performance had escalated into a legal dispute.
“We are living in a time when the authorities can use other people to pit us against one another,” he said on Jan 9, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Former coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD said Pandji’s material could not be prosecuted as it was performed and released before the new Criminal Code (KUHP) took effect on Jan 2.
“If (the show) is considered insulting, in Pandji’s case, it still cannot be punished,” Dr Mahfud said on his YouTube channel on Jan 9. “If Pandji remains calm, he will not be punished. Don’t worry, I will defend you.”
The new penal code itself has already reignited debate over some provisions that critics say could curb civil liberties and freedom of expression, including provisions that penalise insults against a sitting president and the government and those criminalising unlicensed public protests.
The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute also said on Jan 9 that “criticism and satire, including through artistic performances, constitute freedom of opinion and expression,” adding that criminalising such acts is “a violation of human rights”.
Big data analytics company Drone Emprit revealed that online opinions are largely supportive of Pandji’s stand-up comedy, with 66.1 per cent positive sentiment across social media platforms.
“The overwhelmingly positive sentiment on social media highlights the material’s relevance and validates the public’s collective concerns about the state of our government institutions and law enforcement,” Drone Emprit executive director Ismail Fahmi said on Jan 8.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Reonald Simanjuntak said the case “remained in the preliminary investigation stage”, Antara reported on Jan 9. No witnesses have yet to be questioned.
Both NU and Muhammadiyah’s central boards have also distanced themselves from the groups that filed the complaints, claiming that these groups are not part of NU and Muhammadiyah, and that the complaints do not represent their positions. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
