August 25, 2025 | 09:45 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Golkar Party Chairperson and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said he was unaware of the protest that broke out at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday, August 25, 2025.
Bahlil explained that his lack of awareness was due to being occupied with official duties throughout the day.
“Day-long meeting. Haven’t caught up with the information,” he said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Central Jakarta, on Monday.
Bahlil added that he had not read any news during the meeting and therefore could not comment on the demonstration. “What should I respond to? Even the protesters themselves don’t know,” he remarked.
Earlier today, President Prabowo Subianto summoned several ministers, including Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, and Bahlil, to a limited cabinet meeting on the economic sector.
According to Bahlil, the meeting focused on the 2025 economic program and growth prospects for 2026.
One of the government’s key programs discussed was the plan to install power poles to expand electricity access to 5,700 villages and 4,400 hamlets. “This must be completed by 2029–2030,” Bahlil said.
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi delivered a similar response when asked about the protest, saying that the palace had not been monitoring the developments. Instead, the government’s focus that day was on the state honors ceremony.
“We haven’t monitored the protest. Today we are focusing on honoring those who have contributed to the nation,” Prasetyo said at the State Palace.
During the ceremony, President Prabowo awarded 141 state honors to a number of prominent figures. Among the recipients were DPR Speaker and PDI-P Central Executive Board Chair Puan Maharani, DPR Deputy Speaker and Gerindra Secretary General Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairperson Ahmad Muzadi, also a senior Gerindra politician. The three were bestowed with the Bintang Republik Indonesia Utama.
Meanwhile, the demonstration in front of the DPR building was triggered by public outrage over a significant salary increase for legislators for the 2024–2029 term.
A total of 580 lawmakers reportedly received a net salary of around Rp100 million per month, largely due to a new housing allowance of Rp50 million.
The protest escalated into clashes in the afternoon after police fired tear gas at demonstrators from the movement calling itself the “Indonesian People’s Revolution.” The crowd dispersed as protesters fled from the tear gas.
Novali Panji Nugroho and Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to the writing of this article.
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