Parliament Urges Government and Broadcasting Commission to Audit Trans7's Broadcasting Rights

October 16, 2025 | 07:12 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) held a meeting with the management of television station Trans7, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), and the Himasal (Alumni Association of Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School) on Thursday, October 16, 2025. The meeting was related to the polemic over a broadcast that was deemed to disparage the kiai (Muslim religious leaders), the santri (students at Islamic boarding schools), and the institutions of Islamic boarding schools.

The meeting took place in the meeting room of DPR Commission IV at the Nusantara Building, MPR/DPR Complex in Senayan, Jakarta. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chair of the PKB Faction of DPR, Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal. Jazilul Fawaid, Chair of the PKB Faction of DPR, and Lalu Hadrian Irfani, Deputy Chair of DPR Commission X, also attended the meeting. Additionally, there were members of various other DPR commissions, including Oleh Soleh of Commission I, Maman Imanulhaq of Commission VIII, and Habib Syarief Muhammad of Commission X.

"The DPR has requested the Ministry of Communication and Digital and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission to jointly conduct an audit and evaluate the broadcasting license of Trans7," stated Cucun during the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

The broadcast in question is the program "Xpose Uncensored," which featured the Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School in East Java. The Trans7 program covered several issues, one of which was titled "Wealthy kiai, but poor congregation." The broadcast included a satirical narrative that mentioned, "the santri have to squat just to drink milk" and "have to squat to greet the kiai." This triggered protests from the Islamic boarding school community.

Cucun stated that the DPR appreciates the steps taken by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission regarding the issue. The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission has imposed a temporary suspension on the "Xpose Uncensored" program. "In fact, it's not just a temporary suspension; the program has been permanently discontinued," he said.

Cucun emphasized that the Ministry of Communication and Digital, as well as the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, must respond to the public's reaction to the Trans7 broadcast by imposing strict sanctions in accordance with the audit results.

On October 13, 2025, Trans7 aired a program that featured a collage of videos and images depicting the relationship between the santri and the kiai in the boarding school. The recording showed santri kneeling while giving envelopes to the kiai.

The Trans7 television program also featured images and videos of santri lining up on the floor to shake hands with the kiai who were seated. The program's narrator mentioned that netizens suspected that these envelope donations were making the kiai even wealthier.

Two days later, hundreds of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) officials, Islamic boarding school leaders, and alumni from Islamic boarding schools across Jakarta held a mass protest by storming the Transmedia Building on Captain Tendean Street, Mampang, South Jakarta. They demanded a boycott of Trans7.

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