Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The All-Indonesia Student Executive Board, or BEM SI, is concerned about the government's decision to pardon Hasto Kristiyanto and Tom Lembong, fearing it is part of the effort to weaken Prabowo's administration opposition.

The Central Coordinator of BEM SI, Muzammil Ihsan, said the president's decision shows a massive reconciliation within Indonesia's current political scheme. "Where they embrace all parties and run within the framework of establishing political stability," he told Tempo on Friday, August 1, 2025.

Outside the fairness of Tom Lembong's sentence, Muzzamil said, the pardon creates a space for political favoritism. If continued, these practices will not strengthen democracy but silence criticism and tame the opposition. "Unsupervised power could create a new oligarch that endangers the future of Indonesian democracy," he said.

Any pardon or halt to legal processes must be based on the principles of justice and public interest, not power consolidation. Muzammil said students will remain at the forefront to ensure no laws concede to political power.

On Thursday, July 31, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Sufmi Dasco Ahmad announced the approval of abolition for sugar import corruption convict Tom Lembong and amnesty for PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto over the bribery case involving former KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan.

Dasco mentioned that the request for abolition for Tom Lembong was submitted by President Prabowo Subianto in a letter numbered R43/Pres 07.2025 dated July 30, 2025.

Abolition and amnesty are two forms of presidential prerogative rights related to the elimination of penal sanctions. While amnesty pardons a group or an individual, abolition erases the criminal charges against a group or an individual.

The Presidential Palace said Prabowo aims for national unity while considering the pardon, with everyone working together to achieve progress, said Deputy State Secretary Juri Ardiantoro.

Therefore, both Tom Lembong, who was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, and Hasto Kristiyanto, who was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, will be free from the penal sanction that awaits them, pending a Presidential Decree to release them from prison.

– Eka Yudha contributed to the writing of this article.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2035014/bem-si-fears-pardon-for-prabowos-rivals-will-tame-govt-oppositio