TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Culture Minister Fadli Zon announced that the new national history book titled 'Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global' (Indonesian History: National Dynamics in Global Currents) is slated for publication this coming August.
"It has actually been written, but we are currently refining its layout and visual design. Hopefully, it will be available in August," Fadli Zon said after performing the Eid al-Adha prayer at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Fadli assured that the book will be fully accessible to the general public once it is officially released.
The book’s general editor, Singgih Tri Sulistiyono, noted that the substance of this government-commissioned national history text is already finalized, though the final cover design has yet to be locked in.
The Diponegoro University Faculty of Cultural Sciences professor explained that the book cover is still being perfected by a design team operating under the Ministry of Culture.
"So, [we are] in a design process. The design process will determine the book cover, which will be handled by the Ministry of Culture," said Singgih to Tempo on May 13, 2026.
The book, which consists of 8,000 pages and 11 volumes, is the collective work of 123 historians from 34 universities across Indonesia. The 11 volumes comprise: 1. Early History of the Archipelago; 2. The Archipelago in the Global Network: India and China; 3. The Archipelago in the Global Network: The Middle East; 4. Interaction with the West: Competition and Alliances; 5. Response to Colonization; 6. National Movement; 7. Indonesian War of Independence; 8. Turbulent Times and Threats of Integration; 9. New Order (1967-1998); 10. Era of Reform (1999-2024); and 11. Miscellany and Index.
Singgih mentioned that physical copies of this updated national history series will see a limited print run reserved for institutions, but the public will be able to download the PDF version free of charge via online libraries.
"It will likely be officially launched on Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17," Singgih added.
Late last year, Culture Minister Fadli Zon soft-launched the draft of the new national history book at the Plaza of the Achieving Insan in Jakarta on Sunday, December 14, 2025.
Fadli mentioned that there was controversy surrounding the plan to rewrite the history book. Several people requested that the project to rewrite history be stopped. However, the minister dismissed the backlash, framing the intense public debate as a healthy component of the democratic process.
"There was controversy regarding the writing of history. But that's normal," said Fadli during a speech broadcast on the Ministry of Culture's YouTube channel.
Fadli claimed that the rewriting of history was done without government intervention. This member of the Gerindra Party stated that his ministry only facilitated historians to write history. During the launch last December, he also claimed that he had not read the book at all. "I have not even seen a single page of this book. So, I am not lying," he said.
Read: Indonesia to Give Tax Incentives for Book Writers
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
