May 28, 2025
JAKARTA – Culture Minister Fadli Zon said during a meeting with the House of Representatives on Monday that the national history book currently being revised will include the contributions of all Indonesian presidents with an emphasis on their positive achievements.
Speaking before House Commission X overseeing education and culture, Fadli said the new 10-volume publication aimed to fill significant historical gaps left by previous editions, particularly the omission of several post-Reform leaders.
“One of the urgent reasons for this project is that the last historical work did not cover former presidents like Megawati Soekarnoputri and her successors,” Fadli said, referring to Indonesia dalam Arus Sejarah (Indonesia in the Historical Current), a nine-volume series published in 2011, which only documents the tenures of Soekarno, Soeharto and Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie.
The minister explained that the updated book would adopt a “more positive tone” toward each president, highlighting milestones such as Indonesia’s economic development under Soeharto and infrastructure expansion during the administration of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Regarding Prabowo’s presidency, the book will cover events up to his election in October 2024 and include his administration’s early programs and future plans.
“We want the tone to be more positive toward all of our leaders. If we focused on their flaws and shortcomings, the work would never be finished,” Fadli said.
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He added that the book would provide only a broad overview of historical events, arguing that “If we wanted to include every detail, we’d need 100 volumes.”
Fadli, a senior politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, also clarified that the book would not serve as a sole or “official” account of Indonesia’s history.
“It is official in the sense that the government is releasing it, but there will be no ‘official’ label on the book,” he said. He emphasized that history is an evolving field, shaped by diverse perspectives from writers and readers alike.
Monday’s meeting came amid growing criticism from a civil society coalition, the Indonesian Historical Transparency Alliance (AKSI), which believes that the government is attempting to “monopolize the national narrative” through a state-driven version of history.
The group has expressed concern that the draft version circulating among academics omits key human rights violations recognized by the state, including the enforced disappearances of pro-democracy activists in 1997–1998.
These incidents occurred during the final years of Soeharto’s authoritarian New Order regime and have been linked to Prabowo, then a high-ranking general and Soeharto’s son-in-law. Prabowo has repeatedly denied allegations of involvement in rights abuses during that turbulent period
Fadli, on Monday, dismissed the criticism, saying, “It’s called a draft for a reason. How can they judge something that isn’t finished?”
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Commission X lawmaker Anita Jacoba Gah of the Democratic Party questioned whether the draft should undergo wider supervision by the public, given several sensitive events in the country’s history.
“Transparency and public participation are crucial to prevent domination by a single interpretation of history,” Anita said.
Fadli claimed the ministry plans to open the draft for broader academic review in June or July, once the content nears completion.
The final version of the book is scheduled for release on Aug. 17, to coincide with Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day celebration. It is currently being written by a team of 113 historians, archaeologists and scholars from over 30 higher education institutions.
