AUGUST 30 — On any ordinary day, the resilience of Indonesians is nothing short of remarkable. With meager wages—on average not exceeding USD 320 a month—millions of young people endure the grinding search for work in an economy that struggles to keep pace with their aspirations. The rhythm of daily life in villages and cities often conveys an image of peace, patience, and stoic endurance.

That image has now been shattered.

A parliament out of touch

On August 25, 2025, Indonesia’s 580 Members of Parliament voted unanimously to increase their salaries by nearly USD 6,000 a month. 

For a youthful population whose median age is just 23, the decision landed like an insult wrapped in arrogance. In the eyes of ordinary Indonesians, it was not merely a wage hike but a profound symbol of how out of touch their leaders have become.

The rage that has since spilled into the streets was predictable—and avoidable. When young people feel structurally locked out of opportunity, when their sacrifices are mocked by the excesses of the political class, revolt becomes not only possible but almost inevitable.

Austerity for the people, abundance for the elite

What has compounded the fury is the lopsided austerity imposed on everyone but the lawmakers. Ministries have been ordered to slash budgets by 25 to 30 percent. Municipal governments, starved of funds for six months, have turned to local taxation as a desperate fix. Some levies have risen by over 240 percent, striking hardest at those least able to pay.

This tightening of the screws is framed as necessary to allow Danatara—the Indonesian sovereign wealth fund—to build its assets toward USD 900 billion. Yet to millions of Indonesians, the logic rings hollow. When taxes balloon overnight while hospitals, schools, and local infrastructure crumble, the promise of future prosperity offers little consolation.

The breaking point

The protests that began episodically in Jakarta and Surabaya have snowballed into a nationwide revolt. Reports by Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, and Channel News Asia confirm that demonstrations are no longer isolated sparks but interconnected fires consuming major cities.

President Prabowo Subianto has urged calm. Yet his words are undermined by the heavy-handedness of the security forces. The tragic death of a young motorcyclist, crushed by a police truck on August 29, has become a rallying cry. Instead of restoring order, the mishandled response has deepened anger and widened distrust.

A crisis of legitimacy

The demand now voiced on the streets goes far beyond wage justice or tax relief. Indonesians are calling for the abolition of parliament itself, a radical rejection of the institution’s legitimacy. In a democracy, this is no small matter. It speaks to a profound erosion of trust in representative politics, where the very body meant to embody the will of the people is seen as parasitic.

For Indonesia, ASEAN’s largest member and the world’s third-largest democracy, this crisis cannot be brushed aside as transient unrest. It cuts to the core of governance, legitimacy, and generational justice.

Why the world should pay attention

The world ignores Indonesia at its peril. With more than 275 million people, its stability or instability reverberates across ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific, and the global economy. Indonesia anchors supply chains, maritime trade routes, and climate negotiations. If its social contract begins to unravel, the shockwaves will not remain within its borders.

Moreover, the Indonesian revolt resonates with a wider pattern: youth in many parts of the world feel alienated from political elites, locked out of economic futures, and increasingly impatient with symbolic promises of reform. The uprisings in Jakarta and Bandung are not only Indonesian—they are part of a global echo chamber of discontent.

Conclusion: A moment of reckoning

Indonesia’s parliamentarians may have thought a salary hike was an administrative adjustment. Instead, they have lit a fire that risks consuming the very institution they serve. If democracy is to survive in Indonesia, its leaders must act not with condescension but with humility: reversing the pay hikes, rolling back punitive taxes, and opening channels for youth voices to reshape the nation’s future.

When Indonesians rise in revolt, the world must not look away. This is not only their reckoning—it is a warning to all societies where elites forget the burdens borne by the young.

• Phar Kim Beng, PhD is the Professor of Asean Studies at International Islamic University of Malaysia and Director of Institute of Internationalisation and Asean Studies (IINTAS).

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.