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Prabowo sees major protests early in presidency
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi asked the public to give the still new administration of President Prabowo a chance, noting that it would continuously look for solutions to address the challenges facing the nation.
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Students belonging to the Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) rally in Jakarta on Monday, February 17, 2025. In the protest, titled In- donesia Gelap (Dark Indonesia), the students called for the revocation of budget cuts in the education sector, which they said would heavily impact tuition fees and scholarship funds. (Antara Foto/Sulthony Hasanuddin)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto is facing the first major protests of his tenure just over three months after taking office, prompted by austerity measures intended to fund his ambitious campaign promises.
Marching with flags and banners reading “Indonesia Gelap” (dark Indonesia), thousands of students across the country recently took to the streets to protest new government policies they say are “increasingly repressive and harmful to the people”.
The demonstrations, coordinated by the All-Indonesia Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI), opposed Prabowo’s new budget cuts, including to the education sector, to fund his free nutritious meals program.
In January, the President issued a presidential instruction calling for a total of Rp 306.7 trillion ($18.7 billion) in cuts to state spending in 2025 to fund his initiatives, including the free meals program. But on Saturday, the President said he was eyeing even more savings: over Rp 750 trillion through multiple phases of fiscal consolidation this year.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry will see up to Rp 8 trillion in cuts, including to a state-funded certification program for teachers nationwide that gives them access to monthly benefits.
Read also: 'Dark Indonesia' protests erupt nationwide with students taking to streets
Schools minister Abdul Mu’ti said only half of this year’s initial target of 800,000 educators would be able to participate in the certification program, meaning less overall income for the country’s teachers.
