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View all search resultsAward puts spotlight on opinion polls’ role in democracy
Public opinion surveys have grown alongside Indonesia’s democratic transition, as public sentiment has become increasingly important in shaping elections and evaluating policies, according to experts.
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Police officers stand guard during a rally organized by university students on Aug. 19, 2025, in front of the East Java Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) in Surabaya, East Java. During the rally, protesters called for the government to scrap its controversial national history book project and push for protection of freedom of expression. (Antara/Didik Suhartono)
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nternational awards honoring Indonesian public opinion pollsters, including one recently publishing a poll showing a decline in President Prabowo Subianto’s popularity, have highlighted the importance of opinion surveys in keeping the government in check.
Saiful Mujani, founder of pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC), received the Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 from the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) Asia Pacific during a three-day conference in Jakarta from July 27 to 29. The conference was hosted by the Indonesian International Islamic University’s (UIII) School of Social Sciences.
Recognized as “one of the early pioneers of scientific public opinion research in Indonesia”, Saiful was acknowledged for helping establish methodological rigor in the country’s polling, according to the award citation signed by WAPOR Asia Pacific president Matthew Gray, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
The association also recognized Saiful’s lasting contribution to advancing public opinion research in Indonesia through his role in leading pollster institutions, particularly during his leadership in Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) between 2003 and 2008 and SMRC.
The Indonesian Association for Public Opinion Surveys (Persepi) saw that Saiful, who is also a political professor at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) in Jakarta, has also helped promote public policy accountability and an independent academic culture amid the growing need of credible data in shaping public policy.
“The award underscores the importance of upholding integrity, methodological rigor and research independence as a foundation of healthy democracy,” Persepi head Djayadi Hanan said in a statement on Wednesday.
