Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir - Disorder and the Preman State

Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir - disorder and the preman state

Indonesian modern history is littered with stories of shadowy figures, underworld groups, militia, and criminal gangs, commonly known as preman. For its co-option and adoption of the activities and characteristics of these groups, scholars described the New Order period of Suharto’s authoritarian regime as the ‘preman state’. Almost three decades later, the role of these informal violence networks, protection racketeers, and gangsters, remains entwined within the political, social, and economic structures of democratic Indonesia.

Recently, public discussion and investigations have focused on one of these groups – Gerakan Indonesia Rakyat Bersatu or GRIB Jaya, its leader Rosario de Marshall, known as Hercules, and his close relationship with President Prabowo. This group's role in the Jakarta protests, which erupted into deadly violence on 27 August, has again raised questions about the underlying system of disorder that enables such criminality and gives groups like GRIB Jaya access to those at the highest levels of state power.

In this week's episode, Jemma chats with Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir, an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow at the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies and the Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study in Germany. He is also an honorary fellow at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne. Mughis is author of 'State of Disorder: Privatised Violence and the State in Indonesia' and has written widely on Indonesian law and politics.

In 2026, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from the Australia-Indonesia Centre, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, Dr Elisabeth Kramer from the University of New South Wales, Tito Ambyo from RMIT and Dr Clara Siagian from University College, London.

Image: United Indonesian People’s Movement (Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu Jaya, GRIB Jaya) leader Hercules Rosario Marcal at the office of Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, in a photo posted by the Cabinet Secretary's Instagram account on 27 March 2026. Photo from instagram.com/teddy_hq