DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - The Deli Serdang Regency Government and dozens of members of the Gerakan Mahasiswa Jaringan Aktivis (GMJA), a student and activist movement, have agreed to call on Deli Serdang Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan to take immediate action against Muliadi, the suspended head of Rugemuk Village. Muliadi is facing legal allegations and suspected corruption involving the use of village funds. This became evident when GMJA staged a protest outside the Deli Serdang Regent's Office on Monday, August 10, 2026.
Representatives from the Office of Community Empowerment and Village Administration (Dinas Pemberdayaan Masyarakat dan Desa/PMD) and the
Deli Serdang Government Inspectorate met with the protesters to explain
Muliadi's current status. During the meeting, the students urged the regional government to take firm action and permanently remove
Muliadi from his position as head of
Rugemuk Village.
According to GMJA, the Muliadi case is no longer solely an administrative matter concerning village governance but has also become connected to a legal process. The activists said Muliadi had returned money allegedly linked to the suspected village fund corruption case through the Deli Serdang Inspectorate to the regional government.
GMJA Action Coordinator Rio Nasution said his group continued to support the leadership of
Deli Serdang Regent
Asri Ludin Tambunan. However, the support came with a demand that the regent demonstrate firmness toward government officials facing corruption allegations.
"We support the leadership of Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan, which must remain free from corruption. One example is the alleged corruption involving village funds in Rugemuk. Muliadi has already returned money linked to the corruption case. Therefore, firm action must be taken both administratively and through the legal process. He must be dismissed and held legally accountable for the corruption case," Rio Nasution told PMD representatives Rismar Silaban and Wanda from the Inspectorate, along with other officials present.
Muliadi Still Has Not Returned to Office
Responding to the protesters' demands, Rismar Silaban of the Deli Serdang PMD said the regional government had not reinstated Muliadi as head of Rugemuk Village. Although his six-month suspension expired on August 5, 2026, Muliadi had not yet resumed his duties as village head.
Rismar said the regional government would first review the demands and recommendations submitted by the students before presenting them to the
Deli Serdang Regent.
"We can confirm that the person concerned, Muliadi, has not been reinstated by the regent. The students' recommendations today will be taken into consideration and submitted to the regent. As for the legal proceedings against the suspended village head, that is outside our authority. The matter falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies. We cannot interfere," Rismar Silaban said.
The statement also made clear that the regional government had yet to make a final decision regarding
Muliadi's status. The PMD is awaiting a decision from the
Deli Serdang Regent after various considerations, including the findings of the Inspectorate's examination, have been taken into account.
In addition to determining his status following the suspension, the regional government is also considering Muliadi's permanent dismissal. The Deli Serdang Inspectorate has already submitted several findings from its examination to Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan, which are expected to serve as a basis for further action.
RAGEMUK VILLAGE HEAD STILL NOT IN OFFICE:
Deli Serdang PMD official Rismar Silaban meets with
GMJA protesters and explains that
Muliadi has not yet been reinstated as head of
Rugemuk Village despite the expiration of his suspension. (PHOTO: Doc.
GMJA)
Inspectorate Submits Examination Findings
Deli Serdang Inspectorate official Wanda said his institution had submitted the examination findings to the regent. The decision on whether
Muliadi should be dismissed rests with the
Deli Serdang Regent.
"Based on the examination conducted by the Inspectorate, we have submitted several points from the findings for the regent to decide on. We ask for the students' understanding that we cannot directly respond to their demands at this time. The decision rests with the regent," Wanda said.
Wanda emphasized that the Inspectorate's role in the case was to conduct the examination and submit relevant recommendations to the regional leadership. The legal proceedings against
Muliadi, meanwhile, fall under the authority of law enforcement agencies.
Rismar and Wanda also asked GMJA to respect the respective authorities of the agencies involved in handling the case. At the same time, both officials said they supported the students' demand that the Deli Serdang Government protect the administration from officials facing corruption allegations.
"We will ensure that we support the demands of all the students who came here today. We will convey them to the regent," Rismar and Wanda said.
The statement was positively received by the GMJA protesters. The students then reiterated that their demands were not intended to obstruct the work of the Deli Serdang Government. Instead, they urged the regional leadership to take firm action so that a case involving a village official would not develop into a broader crisis of public trust.
EXAMINATION FINDINGS ON VILLAGE HEAD SUBMITTED:
Deli Serdang Inspectorate official Wanda explains that examination findings related to the
Muliadi case have been submitted to the
Deli Serdang Regent as a basis for further consideration and decision-making. (PHOTO: Doc.
GMJA)
GMJA Warns of Political Backlash
Rio Nasution again reminded
Deli Serdang Government officials that the
Muliadi case could damage the public image of the administration led by
Asri Ludin Tambunan. The public, he said, must be able to see concrete measures from the regional government against officials facing legal problems, particularly when those problems involve the management of village funds.
Rio also said investigators from the Corruption Crimes Unit (Tipidkor) of the Deli Serdang City Police were continuing to investigate a case involving suspected financial losses related to village funds amounting to more than Rp200 million.
"This must not become a political backlash for the regent. We know that
Muliadi is being investigated by the Tipidkor Unit. We came here to support the regent in maintaining a firm and corruption-free
Deli Serdang Government. The people of
Rugemuk Village are also angry with
Muliadi. That anger must not turn in another direction. We know that the regent was elected through the people's votes," Rio said.
GMJA believes decisive action by the regional government is necessary to maintain public confidence in the Deli Serdang administration. For the students, the decision regarding Muliadi's status is also a reflection of the political will to ensure clean and corruption-free governance.
The
GMJA demonstration lasted for more than an hour. After receiving explanations from representatives of the PMD and the Inspectorate, the protesters ended the action in an orderly manner. Before dispersing, the
GMJA demonstrators took a group photograph with Rismar Silaban, Wanda and several
Deli Serdang Government staff members.
With the demonstration concluded, the final decision regarding the status of Muliadi, the suspended head of Rugemuk Village, now rests with Deli Serdang Regent Asri Ludin Tambunan. The Inspectorate's examination findings and the students' demands have been submitted to the regent as considerations for the decision. Meanwhile, the legal proceedings against Muliadi continue under the authority of law enforcement agencies. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Edi Saputra | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala