Jakarta – The call to take to the streets on August 25, 2025, in front of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) building in Senayan, Jakarta, by a group calling itself the “Indonesian People’s Revolution” has been met with rejection from various community elements. The issue was linked to the controversy over DPR allowances, but many parties view the protest as lacking clear direction and accountability, making it prone to political exploitation.
Chairman of the Confederation of All-Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPSI), Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, asserted that his organization would not participate in the demonstration. He described the August 25 protest call as highly questionable.
“Because it is unclear who is responsible and what issues are actually being demanded, I forbid all members or the wider KSPSI family across Indonesia, especially in the Greater Jakarta area, from joining the August 25 action,” said Jumhur.
Jumhur added that an action without clear accountability is vulnerable to unrest and could become a stage for elite political battles. “This means sacrificing the people for elite political interests,” he remarked, stressing that neither KSPSI nor the labor movement under it would be involved.
Support for rejecting the protest also came from student groups. Media Coordinator of the People’s Alliance of the All-Indonesian Student Executive Boards (BEM SI Kerakyatan), Pasha Fazillah Afap, emphasized that his organization had never declared its participation.
Responding to the issue that triggered the protest call—DPR allowances—Deputy Speaker of the DPR, Adies Kadir, clarified that the policy was not a new salary increase but rather a reallocation of housing facilities.
“What needs to be underlined is that there is no new base salary increase. The change only concerns the pattern of providing housing facilities, which is more practical and more efficient for the state budget,” Adies explained in a written statement.
Adies stressed that the housing allowance was intended to relieve the state from the burden of maintaining DPR official residences. He also acknowledged that discussions on legislators’ salaries and allowances often spark sensitivity amid the people’s ongoing economic challenges.
“The DPR also realizes that issues concerning public figures’ salaries often create negative perceptions, even though the mechanism is already regulated in government regulations,” he noted.
With these clarifications from various parties, it has become increasingly clear that the August 25 protest call lacks a solid foundation and is likely a provocation. Labor groups, students, and political parties firmly denied their involvement, while the DPR emphasized that the allowance issue is merely an adjustment in facilities, not a new salary increase. ***