Dadan Hindayana's Controversies During His Time as BGN Chief

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto dismissed Dadan Hindayana from the position of Head of National Nutrition Agency (BGN) on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The position is now replaced by Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who previously served as Deputy Head of BGN.

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said Dadan's dismissal was carried out after the President monitored his performance in carrying out the free nutritious meal project for approximately one and a half years. "Therefore, on this day, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the President made the decision to change the leadership of BGN," said Prasetyo at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

During his tenure, Dadan has often been criticized for his controversial policies and statements considered incorrect. Various cases have also occurred since he took office, ranging from widespread confusion to excessive budget spending for BGN procurement.

Here are several controversies during Dadan's tenure as Head of BGN:

Drinking Two Liters of Milk Per Day

In the early days of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, Dadan was criticized for his statement about drinking two liters of milk per day. Dadan made this statement during his visit to Pondok Pesantren Syaichona Muhammad Cholil in Bangkalan, East Java, on May 26, 2025.

During the visit, Dadan shared about his two sons who were required to drink two liters of milk per day. Dadan linked this to his children's height, which has now reached 185 cm and 181 cm.

For Dadan, milk is an important source of calcium for growth, and the habit of drinking a large amount of milk is a family tradition. Despite the flood of criticism, Dadan asserted that his personal experience story is not the basis for the MBG program policy. "All must have misunderstood," he said when contacted on Thursday, May 29, 2025.

Proposing Insects and Sago Worms as Protein in MBG

Dadan's equally controversial statement was proposing insects and sago worms as alternative protein sources in the MBG menu. At that time, Dadan said that the protein source in MBG does not have to be chicken, eggs, or meat. He cited certain areas that are accustomed to consuming grasshoppers, sago worms, or other insects as a source of protein.

"It is possible that there is one region that likes to eat insects (such as) grasshoppers, sago worms, which could be part of the protein," said Dadan during his presentation at the Indonesian Women's National Coordination Meeting, Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Increasing Poisoning Cases

Under Dadan's leadership, the MBG program continues to cause poisoning cases even though it has been running for more than a year. The Ministry of Health recorded as many as 446 poisoning cases with a total of 37,693 victims as of early May 2026. Poisoning cases occurred in 220 districts or cities across 36 provinces.

A string of poisoning cases of MBG reached its peak in September 2025. At that time, 657 students in West Java were poisoned after consuming the MBG menu, followed by several other areas, such as Central Java, East Nusa Tenggara, South Kalimantan, and several other areas at the same time.

Procurement of 20,000 Motorcycle Units and Shoe Polish

The procurement of goods and services at the National Nutrition Agency has been repeatedly criticized for wasteful and suspicious practices. There was a scent of corruption due to the purchase of items by BGN above market prices, the supplying company being involved in bribery cases, and others.

For example, last year, BGN allocated a budget of Rp113.9 billion for event organizer services (EO), purchased 21,000 electric motorcycles at a price of Rp42 million per unit, and procured other items such as bath towels and shoe polish with a total budget of billions of rupiah.

As for the EO service, Dadan said it was to handle large-scale activities that could not be handled internally by BGN. Meanwhile, the purchase of towels and shoe polish was part of the educational and training needs of the Indonesian Development Champion (SPPI) program.

Plan to Distribute MBG for Indonesian School Children in Jeddah

Dadan revealed plans to expand the MBG program for Indonesian students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He said the idea arose from his visit to the Indonesian School in Jeddah during his return journey to the homeland after performing the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.

In the meeting, students and teachers expressed their interest in the MBG program being implemented by the Indonesian government. "They know about the MBG program and also want the program. I conveyed that I will report to the President first," said Dadan when contacted on Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

This proposal was immediately met with criticism as the implementation of MBG domestically is still filled with a number of quality and food safety issues, MBG cost burdens, and several other issues.

Read: Who Is Nanik S. Deyang, the New BGN Chief Replacing Dadan Hindayana?

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