Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, said political parties have agreed to revoke a set of perks and privileges for parliamentarians after days of protests and rioting driven by anger over lawmakers’ pay and conduct.
In a live address from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Prabowo said the House leadership had conveyed that a number of policies would be revoked, including the size of allowances for members and a moratorium on overseas work visits. He also said parties had agreed to remove errant lawmakers from their seats, presenting the move as part of a broader attempt to restore public trust while keeping order on the streets.
The announcement came after a week of unrest that had already left at least five people dead, according to CNA’s report. Demonstrations began over what protesters saw as excessive pay and housing allowances for members of parliament, then escalated after the death of Affan Kurniawan, a 21-year-old ride-hailing rider killed by a police armored vehicle during a protest. That killing triggered wider anger and turned protests into riots in parts of the country.
Prabowo sought to balance concessions with warning. He said peaceful assembly must be protected, but he also told police and the military to use the firmest possible action against looting, arson and attacks on public facilities and economic centers. He said signs of subversion and terrorism had begun to appear, language that suggests the government intends to treat some of the unrest as a security threat rather than only a political dispute.
The political optics were carefully staged. CNA reported that Prabowo appeared alongside leaders of major political parties, including figures from PDI-P, Golkar, NasDem and PKB, as well as the speakers of both legislative chambers. That signaled a coordinated elite response to public anger and an effort to show the ruling class was acting in concert.
The unrest has also moved beyond the original trigger. Demonstrators and looters targeted homes of senior officials, lawmakers and the finance minister, while regional parliament buildings were torched in some places. CNA reported that one lawmaker, Ahmad Sahroni, and another, Nafa Urbach, were suspended by the NasDem Party over comments that offended public sentiment.
Taken together, the episode shows how quickly a dispute over legislative perks turned into a broader legitimacy crisis. The president’s concessions may cool the immediate anger, but the unrest has already exposed the depth of frustration over inequality, police violence and the insulation of political elites from public pressure.
