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Give Prabowo a chance, state secretary says
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi urges the public to give Prabowo’s administration a chance, responding to nationwide student protests over budget cuts.
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Students hold a rally as part of the Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia) movement to oppose budget-cutting policies by President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Feb. 17, 2025. (Antara Foto/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
S
tate Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has called on the public to give President Prabowo Subianto's administration a fair chance in response to the nationwide protest called Indonesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia).
The protest started on Monday simultaneously in multiple cities.
Prasetyo said Prabowo had only been in office for 100 days and faced many challenges. However, he insisted that the government continuously worked on solutions to address these issues.
"If some parties are still dissatisfied or have yet to accept it, for us in the government, that is normal," Prasetyo said at the House of Representatives compound on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
He recognized the demonstration as a legitimate expression of free speech but cautioned against the spread of misinformation.
"Where? There is no Dark Indonesia. We are heading toward a rising Indonesia. As a nation, we must remain optimistic," he said.
The protest criticizes Prabowo's budget efficiency measures, which are perceived as negatively impacting the education and health sectors.
However, Prasetyo urged students to scrutinize the issue more carefully.
"Don't twist the issue as if efficiency measures will disrupt performances or become a burden on the public. That is not the case," he said.
Prasetyo, a politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, said the Finance Ministry had already provided a detailed breakdown of the affected budget components.
He said the budget efficiency policy did not have an impact on the education sector. Programs such as the Indonesia Smart Card (KIP) and scholarships from the Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP) will continue as planned.
"Expressing opinions is not a problem. As the government, we will always be open to feedback because, for us, such input serves as constructive criticism," Prasetyo said.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Adies Kadier viewed the demonstrations as a creative way for students to express their concerns regarding national issues.
"That is a healthy democratic practice, channeling aspirations through protests. Such actions have always been a hallmark of students," Adies said in Jakarta on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.
Adies, a member of the Golkar Party, emphasized that demonstrations were a legitimate and constitutionally protected form of expression, and each generation of students had a unique way of voicing their opinions.
"That is entirely valid, it’s a way to express aspirations. Back in college, we did the same thing, each in our own creative way," he said.
