Why the news spotlight on ex-VP Jusuf Kalla?

Jusuf Kalla has been among the top trending news in recent weeks, reflecting the enduring relevance of one of Indonesia’s most seasoned statesmen. Kalla, who served as vice president a decade apart in 2004-2009 and 2014-2019, is still highly revered but now aged 83, it is unlikely that he will seek elected office again in 2029.

So, why the constant spotlight on him? Kalla may no longer have political ambitions, but his public stature makes him a convenient target to be portrayed as a boogeyman by some political elites gearing up for the next elections.

Kalla has been the target of virulent attacks, initially on social media, but several Protestant and Catholic groups have now reported him to the police for alleged blasphemy, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Their complaint is based on a lecture Kalla delivered on March 5 at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), in which he talked about his experience in ending the sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims in Ambon in 2002. He described how the two sides used their respective faiths to justify the killings as “martyrdom”.

The Indonesian Protestant Youth Movement (GAMKI), which is leading the blasphemy charge, said Christianity did not justify killing under any pretext, including martyrdom.

Responding to the allegation, Kalla said his remarks on martyrdom were taken out of context: He was not describing any particular religious doctrine but only his observations during the negotiation process. A number of Christian leaders who were present at the signing of the Malino II Peace Accord in 2002 have also spoken up in Kalla’s defense.

Kalla has built his reputation as a peacemaker, first by ending the 1998-2001 conflict between Christians and Muslims in Poso, Central Sulawesi, followed by the 2002 Ambon peace deal. On both occasions, he was acting in his capacity as coordinating minister for people’s welfare under former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. Later in 2005, he was instrumental in ending the decades-long separatist conflict in Aceh during his tenure as vice president to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2004-2009. He is currently chair of the Indonesian Red Cross, a position he has held since 2009.

His second turn as vice president was under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2014-2019, and Kalla’s name has been dragged in the continuing controversy over the authenticity of Jokowi’s university diploma since 2025. He has filed a complaint with the police alleging defamation against Rismon Sianipar for suggesting that Kalla had funded the group that questioned whether Jokowi actually graduated from UGM.

Irritated by the suggestion, Kalla publicly told Jokowi earlier this month to simply produce his UGM diploma and end the prolonged controversy, once and for all. He believes this public statement led to the blasphemy allegation against him, more than a month after he gave the speech.

Responding to his critics on social media, mostly Jokowi supporters, Kalla said he played a major role in advancing Jokowi’s political career from mayor of Surakarta in Central Java to Jakarta governor in 2012, and then to president in 2014. “Jokowi became president because of me,” he said.

While Kalla may not have any electoral ambitions for 2029, Jokowi does. After serving two consecutive presidential terms from 2014 to 2024, the former president has been grooming his eldest son, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to run again in 2029, either for president if incumbent Prabowo Subianto does not seek reelection or for a second term as vice president. Since he cannot seek a third term due to the two-term presidential limit in the Constitution, Jokowi’s reported maneuver in 2024 helped Gibran to run alongside Prabowo for an eventual victory.

Jokowi has publicly refused to be drawn into the controversy with Kalla, letting his army of volunteers stand in for him instead.