Indonesians angry at government

Topic: Government and Politics

Prabowo Subianto gave his government an “OK” rating. (Supplied: Press and Media Bureau Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia)

Read the story in Bahasa Indonesia

Several main roads in Jakarta were closed and hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets as Indonesia celebrated its 81st Independence Day.

The main event was the United Harmony of the Archipelago Carnival, with 32 floats showing government ministries and agencies.

President Prabowo Subianto watched as government achievements were read out loud.

When the National Nutrition Agency float passed, an announcer praised the government’s Free Nutritious Meals program.

“In the past one and a half years, the Free Nutritious Meals program has helped 56.9 million people, runs more than 27,000 kitchens and created jobs for 1.3 million people,” the agency said.

The same program has been criticized for weak oversight, doubtful food sources and dirty kitchen conditions.

President Prabowo’s main election promise is facing growing criticism over its weak oversight, doubtful food sources and dirty kitchens.

While the floats moved, many questioned the Independence Day celebrations and the choice to hold a big event so soon after one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters.

Others said the money spent on the festivities should have gone to earthquake relief.

NGO Indonesian Corruption Watch found over Rp300 million ($24,000) was spent on doves released at the State Palace, and local media said Rp22 billion ($1.7 million) went to goodie bags for palace visitors.

Critics said this clashed with Mr Prabowo’s calls to cut wasteful spending.

Indonesia’s Communications Office rejected the criticism, saying the celebrations showed national dignity and it was unfair to judge spending only by budget efficiency.

Ten days before the celebrations, Mr Prabowo had already given his own assessment of the government’s performance.

The centrepiece of Indonesia’s independence celebrations was a parade of floats representing government ministries and agencies. (Supplied: Press and Media Bureau Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia)

In his State of the Nation and budget speech last week, he also said he expects Indonesia’s economy to grow by 6 percent in 2027.

Not everyone shares the president’s optimism.

Faisal Zulham, known as Tengku Faisal, said the first two years of Mr Prabowo’s presidency felt “like they were spinning their wheels”.

“People’s buying power keeps falling, poverty is rising, unemployment stays a problem, corruption is everywhere, and officials keep abusing ordinary citizens,” he told ABC.

Flags of frustration

Thousands gathered at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh to pray together and share their hopes. (Supplied: Wahyu Majiah)

Last week, Mr Faisal, a teacher from Langsa, travelled more than 400 km to Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s westernmost province, to join a mass prayer organized by local religious leaders.

The event coincided with Aceh Peace Day, which marks the 2005 Helsinki peace agreement that ended almost thirty years of fighting between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

He said many people had become “apathetic about the situation” in Aceh and no longer knew where to turn as conditions grew uncertain, which is why they prayed.

Along with the prayers, residents also raised white flags as a sign of concern.

People waved white flags to show disappointment with the central government’s performance. (Supplied: Wahyu Majiah)

“We want the world to know that things are not OK in Aceh right now, especially after the floods almost a year ago,” Mr Faisal said, referring to the damage in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh.

Mr Faisal said the central and regional governments were passing the buck in handling the disaster.

Indonesia’s forests have been disappearing for decades. A huge flood has shown how damaging and deadly deforestation can be.

He said flood recovery work is still unfinished, especially in remote areas.

Some participants also raised Aceh’s crescent‑star flag, prompting security to fire warning shots, water cannons and tear gas.

The crescent‑star is Aceh’s provincial flag, but it stays politically sensitive because of its past link to the Free Aceh Movement.

The crescent‑star flag was raised to mark Aceh Peace Day. (Supplied: Wahyu Majiah)

Similar frustrations are being felt elsewhere.

In parts of West, East and North Kalimantan, residents raised the Borneo Raya flag, which supporters say comes from the flag of the former Greater Dayak State that existed during Indonesia’s short‑lived federal era in the late 1940s.

“This red, yellow and blue flag stands for the dignity of Dayak culture and the values of humanity and civility. We are not resisting, rebelling or defying the state,” said a Dayak Krayan Hulu community representative in a video that later went viral.

The great Borneo flag is unfurled in Nunukan, North Kalimantan. (Supplied)

Instead, they said the flag symbolised frustrations over development and public services.

“We demand the completion of national road and bridge projects, and ask the government to give clear funding and construction timelines.”

East Kalimantan senator Yulianus Henock Sumual said it showed a sense of injustice felt by some residents despite the island’s huge natural wealth.

“Our natural resources are taken out on a massive scale, but very little of that wealth reaches local communities,” he added, hoping the people’s stance would wake up the central government.

Yulianus Henock Sumual says many of the people he represents feel left behind. (Supplied)

On the same weekend, thousands of university students and young people took to the streets in Papua to protest the military’s presence in Indonesia’s easternmost region.

“We are not red‑and‑white, we are Morning Star,” protesters chanted without raising flags.

Like Aceh’s crescent‑star flag, the Morning Star remains highly sensitive because of its link to the Papuan independence movement.

Indonesians who raise it have often faced treason charges.

These movements may be small but are drawing considerable attention from the public, especially on social media.

Indonesia’s Home Affairs Ministry was contacted for comment on the frustrations expressed in various parts of the country.

Djamari Chaniago, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, recently responded to reports of several flag‑raising activities.

“The Red and White flag and the Garuda Pancasila are national symbols that must be respected,” he told reporters, referring to the national flag and emblem.

“In Papua, people have the right to express their aspirations peacefully, but this must not be accompanied by violence or unlawful acts.”

Mr Chaniago urged all parties to help keep peace, national unity and security.

Many people in Aceh say they feel increasingly uncertain about their future. (Supplied: Wahyu Majiah)

‘The Avengers need to assemble’

Beyond the flag movements, a group of academics in Jakarta has launched a “shadow cabinet”, calling it a new form of civil‑society opposition to Mr Prabowo’s government.

Its founders say the initiative appeared because Indonesia’s checks and balances have weakened under a dominant governing coalition.

“We feel the formal channels for criticizing, correcting, or even proposing grassroots policies have hit a dead end,” co‑founder Ahmad Jilul Qur’ani Farid said in an interview with Sindonews.

The “shadow cabinet” provides alternative policies to the Prabowo government. (Supplied)

The shadow cabinet of 15 is made up of academics and civil‑society activists, with most members nominated by the public.

Nabiyla Risfa Izzati, a labour‑law researcher at Gadjah Mada University and the shadow minister for social affairs and basic services, said the group works voluntarily and without party bias, giving evidence‑based checks and alternative policy ideas.

One shadow minister oversees six or seven government ministries, showing its criticism of the size of Mr Prabowo’s cabinet.

Nabiyla Risfa Izzati is serving as the shadow cabinet minister for social affairs and basic services. (Supplied: Universitas Gadjah Mada)

“Our focus is to be the opposite of the current cabinet,” Ms Izzati told ABC.

She said this means not only taking different positions from the government, but also showing the public that there are other ways to do politics.

“For example, we chose to celebrate Independence Day with the community in Pati, while the government kept partying in Jakarta without any changes, with the parades still going on,” she said.

“We wanted to show what people are actually doing … to amplify issues and concerns raised by communities across the country.”

Kendeng residents in Pati, Central Java hold a simple ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. (Supplied: LBH Semarang)

Shadow cabinet fills gap

Constitutional‑law expert Herlambang Wiratraman said the shadow cabinet was relevant and worth welcoming, although it does not work like shadow cabinets in Westminster‑style parliamentary systems, such as Australia’s.

Dr Wiratraman said it could help fill a gap left by a legislature that has struggled to act as an effective check on executive power and give a critical voice amid what he described as declining freedom of expression and public debate.

Herlambang Wiratraman says he believes the “shadow cabinet” serves an important purpose. (Supplied: Herlambang Wiratraman)

“There is also a current narrative in the public sphere that normalises abuse of power and anti‑science policies. The shadow cabinet, meanwhile, offers an alternative by promoting policies based on science,” he said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s repeated controversial comments spark debate over his “populist” communication style.

The government’s State Communication Office has been contacted for comment.

The government generally pushes back against claims of weakened checks and balances and centralised power, saying coalitions and consensus‑building help keep stability and deliver results.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming has previously said he appreciates public participation in all forms, including input from observers, academics, journalists and young people.

Back on the country’s westernmost island, teacher Tengku Faisal said he still hopes the government will listen to public concerns as the country nears the two‑year anniversary of the Prabowo administration.

“For the sake of the people, for the sake of national unity, you are my hope for a better Indonesia, Mr Prabowo.”

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