Politics

Indonesia's Home Minister Dismisses Gowa Regent Husniah Talenrang

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 15, 2026•3 min read

Indonesia's Home Affairs Ministry issued a decree "dishonorably" dismissing Gowa Regent Sitti Husniah Talenrang on Wednesday (14/10/2026). On the same date, Vice Regent Darmawangsyah Muin was appointed Acting Regent of Gowa. The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling granting the Gowa legislature's right to express opinion to impeach Husniah.

Key Facts

Home Affairs Ministerial Decree No. 100.2.1.3-3256 of 2026, dated October 14, 2026, dismisses Sitti Husniah Talenrang "dishonorably" from her post as Regent of Gowa, South Sulawesi.
On the same date, the ministry issued a decree appointing Vice Regent Darmawangsyah Muin as Acting Regent of Gowa for the 2024–2029 term, effective immediately.
The decrees were confirmed by Gowa Regional Legislature (DPRD) Deputy Speaker Hasrul Abdul Rajab on Wednesday evening (14/10/2026). The legislature has received PDF copies of the decrees; the physical documents are scheduled to be collected at the South Sulawesi provincial government on Thursday (15/10/2026).
The dismissal caps a months-long political process: a special inquiry committee (Pansus Hak Angket) was formed on May 26, 2026; all legislature factions agreed to invoke the Right to Express Opinion (HMP, the impeachment mechanism) on July 23, 2026; the case file was submitted to the Supreme Court (MA) on August 12, 2026; and the court granted the HMP petition in Case No. 1 P/UP/2026 on October 1, 2026.
The inquiry covered allegations including an affair between Husniah and her former political consultant, alleged corruption in a Rp16 billion free school uniform procurement program, and the unilateral revocation of a doctoral scholarship for a student.
Separately from the impeachment process, Husniah has been named a suspect by the National Police's anti-corruption task force (Kortas Tipikor) over alleged extortion, gratification, and money laundering linked to licensing in Gowa during 2025–2026. Suspect status is not a guilty verdict.

Decrees Issued Wednesday, Legislature Receives PDF Copies

Indonesia's Home Affairs Ministry (Kemendagri) has officially dismissed Sitti Husniah Talenrang from her post as Regent of Gowa, South Sulawesi. The decision is set out in Home Affairs Ministerial Decree (SK) No. 100.2.1.3-3256 of 2026, dated Wednesday, October 14, 2026, with the wording of a "dishonorable" dismissal.

On the same date, the ministry also issued a decree appointing Gowa Vice Regent Darmawangsyah Muin as Acting Regent (Plt) of Gowa for the 2024–2029 term, effective from the date of the decree.

The issuance of both decrees was confirmed by Gowa Regional Legislature (DPRD) Deputy Speaker Hasrul Abdul Rajab on Wednesday evening. According to Hasrul, the legislature has so far received only PDF copies of the decrees, while the physical documents are scheduled to be collected at the South Sulawesi provincial government on Thursday (15/10/2026).

A Long Road: From Inquiry Committee to Supreme Court Ruling

Husniah's dismissal is the culmination of a political drama that began in May 2026. The Gowa legislature formed a Special Inquiry Committee (Pansus Hak Angket) on May 26, 2026, following a wave of public protests. The investigation covered allegations of an affair between Husniah and her former political consultant, alleged corruption in a free school uniform procurement program worth Rp16 billion, and the unilateral revocation of doctoral scholarship aid for a student.

At a plenary session on July 23, 2026, all legislature factions unanimously agreed to invoke the Right to Express Opinion (HMP) — Indonesia's impeachment mechanism — against Husniah. The impeachment file was then submitted to the Supreme Court (MA) on August 12, 2026. The court granted the HMP petition in Case No. 1 P/UP/2026, decided on October 1, 2026, and the Gowa legislature sent a formal dismissal proposal to the Home Affairs Ministry on October 8, 2026.

As of publication, Husniah Talenrang had not issued any official response to her dismissal.

Separately: Husniah Named Suspect in Corruption Case

Separately from the legislative process, Husniah has been named a suspect by the National Police's anti-corruption task force (Kortas Tipikor). She is accused of extortion, gratification, and money laundering (TPPU) linked to licensing in Gowa Regency during 2025–2026. The suspect designation was announced in September 2026.

Suspect status is not a guilty verdict. The criminal case proceeds on a separate track from the dismissal, which is grounded in the Supreme Court's ruling on the legislature's right to express opinion.