Prabowo Appoints Syahganda Nainggolan to Lead Government Communication Agency
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto officially appointed former activist Syahganda Nainggolan as the head of the Government Communication Agency, known as Bakom, during a ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, October 2, 2026, cnnindonesia.com reported. Nainggolan succeeds Muhammad Qodari, who transitioned to a new role as secretary and member of the Presidential Advisory Council, or Wantimpres, according to official transcripts read during the proceedings.
State Palace Swearing-In Ceremony and Leadership Changes
President Prabowo also administered the oath of office to Fadli Tri Hartono as the new deputy head of Bakom, cnbcindonesia.com reported. Hartono previously served as a special staff member to the Minister of State Secretary. The ceremony began with the singing of the national anthem, “Indonesia Raya,” followed by the reading of Presidential Decree Number 106/P of 2026 by Nanik Purwanti, Deputy for Civil Service Administration at the Ministry of State Secretariat, according to detikNews coverage.
During the proceedings, President Prabowo led the officials in reciting their oath of office. “That I will be loyal to the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and will strictly implement all laws and regulations,” the officials stated in the oath, committing to uphold the 1945 Constitution and execute all laws responsibly. Alongside the Bakom leadership, Prabowo inaugurated 24 members of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) under Presidential Decree Number 107/P of 2026, naming Pratikno as chairman and Muhammad Hatta Rajasa as vice chairman, kaltim.antaranews.com reported. Outgoing Bakom chief Muhammad Qodari took his new oath as Wantimpres secretary during the same afternoon session.
From Activism and Research to State Communications
Nainggolan brings a background in political activism and policy research to the communications agency. Before entering government service, he served as a prominent figure in the Coalition for Saving Indonesia, known as KAMI, and later headed the GREAT Institute, a research organization focusing on economics, technology, and politics, cnnindonesia.com noted. In 2020, Nainggolan faced legal scrutiny and a 10-month prison sentence handed down by the Depok District Court regarding statements concerning protests against the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, before his release from the National Police Bareskrim detention center in August 2021.
Bakom was established under President Prabowo to oversee the communication of central and regional government policies and strategic programs, taking over a mandate previously managed separately by the Presidential Communication Office, or PCO, cnnindonesia.com reported.
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