Dani Aswara, Jakarta – Indonesian Student Press Association (PPMI) condemns the lawsuit filed by Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman against Tempo in the South Jakarta District Court. The organization views Amran's action as a violation of the principle of press freedom as stipulated in Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press.
The General Secretary of PPMI, Ach Zainuddin, described the lawsuit as a suppression of journalistic work. He revealed that the dispute over the news coverage should have been resolved through the mechanisms provided in the Press Law, namely the right of reply, the right of correction, or mediation through the Press Council.
"The court lawsuit has violated press freedom," said Zainuddin as quoted on Sunday, November 9, 2025.
Zainuddin mentioned that taking a press dispute to the civil domain sets a bad precedent for media freedom. He cautioned that if this lawsuit continues, other media may face similar risks when covering critical government policies. PPMI requests the court to halt the lawsuit process. "This case has been handled by the Press Council," he said.
The dispute between Amran and Tempo began with a report titled "Poles-Poles Beras Busuk" (Polishing Rotten Rice) published on May 16, 2025. The news highlighted the absorption of Bulog's rice through the any quality policy at a price of Rp 6,500 per kilogram, causing some farmers to damage the rice to increase its weight. Amran had previously acknowledged the damage to the rice in an article related to the national rice stock.
This matter has been resolved at the Press Council through PPR Number 3/PPR-DP/VI/2025, which stated that Tempo's news violated Articles 1 and 3 of the Journalistic Code of Ethics. The Press Council recommended a change in the headline, an apology, content moderation, and reporting of the implementation, all of which Tempo fulfilled within 2x24 hours.
However, Amran still sued Tempo in the South Jakarta District Court with case number 684/Pdt.G/2025/PN JKT SEL. He believes that there are still illegal actions that harmed the Ministry of Agriculture. Civil society coalitions view this step as a form of press suppression and anti-criticism action.