Golkar Opens Dialogue Room With Students, Listen To Aspirations About Claims 17+8

Dialogue 'Listen to People's Aspirations' with student representatives from a number of universities at the Golkar Party DPP Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 17, 2025 (Nailin / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Golkar Party opened a dialogue space for the public, in this case, groups of students related to the demands of the people who criticized the policies of the government and the DPR during a big demonstration at the end of last August. A number of students from university campuses throughout Jabodetabek were invited to convey the question of '17+8 People's Claims' at the Golkar Party DPP office.

Chairman of the Golkar Party faction of the DPR RI, Sarmuji said that his party was committed and consistent in providing space for students to channel their aspirations.

"We view things like this as very important and God willing, this meeting will not only be this once. Later we will hold it regularly so that friends have a good opportunity to express their aspirations, not just once," said Sarmuji in the dialogue 'Listen to the People's Aspirations' with student representatives from a number of universities at the Golkar Party DPP Office, Jakarta, Wednesday, September 17 evening.

The Secretary General of the Golkar Party said that the moral support from students was very crucial for legislators in voicing the aspirations of the people in parliament and translating them into a pro-people policy.

"An idealist in parliament still needs backup, moral support, from colleagues, especially fellow students, if we are backed up students, we convey that the identity in parliament must be more confident," he said.

This dialogue room was initiated by Barisan Muda Kosgoro (BMK) 1957 to accept student aspirations and discuss demonstrations that led to chaos in a number of areas in Indonesia last August.

A number of leaders of the Golkar Party faction (FPG) to members of the House of Representatives Commission attended accepted the students. Among them, the Chairman of the FPG DPR Sarmuji, the Secretary of the FPG at the MPR Ferdiansyah, Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Dave Laksono, a member of Commission XIII DPR Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa and Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the House of Representatives Ahmad Doli Kurnia.

Student representatives from 10 universities throughout Jabodetabek took turns expressing their aspirations which were then responded to by the leaders of the DPR FPG. The students appreciated and acknowledged that Golkar was the first party to open a communication space for the 17+8 demand.

Representative of BEM Trisakti University, Wildan Hussein, in his aspiration to bring up a number of bills that must be ratified by the DPR, namely the Criminal Code Bill and the Asset Confiscation Bill.

"So it's not only the Asset Confiscation Bill that we have focused on, the Criminal Code Bill must also be rushed further than that, of course the Asset Confiscation Bill is important," he said.

"That's why we also continue to encourage the Golkar Party as one of the biggest parties in Indonesia, which we especially appreciate for giving us space to express our aspirations, dialogue and communication, it's okay to applaud because we should appreciate this has been done and has happened and hopefully it will continue to be done later, it will not be cut off here," he continued.

In response, Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Dave Laksono, said that the aspirations conveyed would be translated into policies.

"What is conveyed by the community, student friends, various elements, of course, we must absorb it and we encourage it to make a policy," he explained.

Meanwhile, Agun Gunandjar believes that parties as political institutions should carry out the functions of representation, articulation, and aggregation, and implement policies that represent the public.

The Golkar Party, said Agun, carried out the function of recruitment and provided measurable presidential, governor, regent, DPR RI, to provincial and district/city DPRDs.

"So that the elected person really represents the people because he knows how to absorb and calculate, formulate, and political parties will produce a candidate-candidate leader who really has competence," said Agun.