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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

Ahmad Ali Claims Expulsion from NasDem Over Refusal of 'Political Mahar'

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Ahmad Ali claims he was expelled from the NasDem Party, not that he resigned, after the 2024 congress did not include him in leadership.
  • Ali alleges his removal was due to refusing a "political mahar" or payment request from NasDem Chairman Surya Paloh.
  • He asserts he was a trusted figure and suggests the alleged payment could fund the construction of the NasDem Tower.

Ahmad Ali, the daily chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), stated he was expelled from the NasDem Party rather than resigning before joining PSI. Ali claims his removal occurred after the 2024 party congress failed to appoint him to a leadership position.

I did not leave NasDem, but I was expelled from NasDem.

— Ahmad AliStating his version of events regarding his departure from the NasDem Party.

Ali asserted that he was the sole individual entrusted by NasDem Chairman Surya Paloh to act as his representative. "I did not leave NasDem, but I was expelled from NasDem," Ali said in a phone interview on Sunday, June 21, 2026. The former member of the House of Representatives suspects his dismissal stemmed from his refusal to meet a demand from Surya Paloh, which he characterized as a "political mahar" or a political fee.

Although capable of fulfilling the request, Ali refused because he deemed it inappropriate. He has withheld specific details but aims to gauge the reaction from NasDem elites by revealing this information now. "I am a thousand percent sure (this is because of the political mahar)," he stated. Ali recounted that since joining NasDem in 2013, he was a trusted confidant of Surya Paloh and frequently praised. He also claimed to have personally funded significant expenses, including what he described as a "political mahar" potentially equivalent to the cost of building the NasDem Tower in Gondangdia, Jakarta.

I am a thousand percent sure (this is because of the political mahar).

— Ahmad AliExpressing certainty that his expulsion was linked to a political payment request.

As an example, Ali cited the "Apel Siaga Kader" (Cadre Alert Rally) on July 16, 2023, presented as a birthday gift to Surya Paloh, stating, "I paid for all of that." Ali expressed readiness to debate NasDem elites if his claims are challenged, believing he was treated unfairly without prior warning or reprimand from Surya Paloh. Tempo's attempts to get responses from NasDem Secretary-General Hermawi Taslim and Treasurer-General Ahmad Sahroni were unsuccessful as of this report. A Tempo magazine article from October 5, 2025, had previously noted a rift between Ali and Surya Paloh emerging before the 2024 election, when Ali was initially slated to lead the campaign team for Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar but was ultimately replaced by Muhammad Syaugi Alaydrus.

I paid for all of that.

— Ahmad AliReferring to the costs associated with the 'Apel Siaga Kader' event in 2023.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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