Recent generous salaries of Indonesian parliament members have sparked large-scale anti-government protests across the country, resulting in five deaths. In an effort to calm the situation, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced on Sunday (August 31) that all political parties have agreed to revoke multiple privileges and benefits of the parliament members.
President Prabowo held a press conference at the presidential palace on Sunday in response to the ongoing protests in Jakarta and various regions of Indonesia. He was accompanied by leaders of different political parties.
Prabowo stated that the parliamentary leaders have agreed to “revoke a series of parliamentary policies, including the amount of allowances for members of parliament, and to suspend overseas travel.”
The trigger for the widespread protests was the parliament’s decision since September last year to grant each member a monthly housing allowance of 50 million Indonesian Rupiah (approximately $3030), while the average monthly income nationwide is only 3.1 million Indonesian Rupiah. This policy, disconnected from the livelihood of the people, ignited anger among the public. The protests erupted on August 25 in Jakarta and quickly spread to multiple cities across the country.
Government properties such as residences of party members and regional council buildings were looted or set on fire, escalating concerns of the protests. On August 29, the protests led to a sharp decline in the Indonesian stock market and currency, impacting investor sentiment.
While making significant concessions on Sunday, President Prabowo urged the lower house to engage in dialogue immediately with community leaders, students, and civil society organizations to ensure that public demands are peacefully expressed.
He also mentioned imposing sanctions on lawmakers and called for collective efforts to safeguard national security. He stated that party leaders have agreed to take internal disciplinary measures, including revoking the party membership of certain lawmakers.
Furthermore, he stated, “For police officers who have made mistakes or violated regulations recently, the national police are currently conducting investigations. I demand a swift and transparent investigation process, with openness to public scrutiny.”
Prabowo reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding the people’s right to freedom of speech and complying with constitutionally guaranteed rights and international norms. However, he emphasized that acts of anarchy, destruction of public property, looting, and attempts at treason are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
He expressed, “The right to peaceful assembly should be respected and protected. However, we cannot deny that there are signs of behaviors that go beyond the law, or even violate the law, leaning towards acts of treason and terrorism.” He said, “I have instructed the military and police to take decisive actions within the law against those who destroy public facilities, loot private residences, and economic centers.”
These protests pose the first major test for the Prabowo government’s nearly one-year leadership. A spokesperson for Prabowo announced on Saturday that the President had canceled his planned trip to China to directly oversee Indonesia’s protest situation and seek the best solutions.
The residence of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was looted overnight, with soldiers guarding her residence and a witness revealing this news to Agence France-Presse on Sunday. In recent days, residences of several lawmakers were also looted.
A witness told Reuters that many ministers and political leaders who arrived at the presidential palace on Sunday used civilian license plates instead of official plates, apparently to avoid arousing public anger.
In addition to regular security personnel, the presidential palace also deployed military guards. On Sunday, many residences of key ministers and government facilities were also under military guard.