Indonesian leader pledges to revoke lawmakers' perks after protests leave 6 dead

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday pledged to revoke lawmakers’ perks and privileges, including a controversial $3,000 housing allowance, in a bid to ease public fury after nationwide protests left six people dead.

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday pledged to revoke lawmakers’ perks and privileges, including a controversial $3,000 housing allowance, in a bid to ease public fury after nationwide protests left six people dead.

Flanked by leaders of eight Indonesian political parties, Subianto told a televised news conference in the capital, Jakarta, that they had agreed to cut the housing allowance and suspend overseas trips for members of parliament. It was a rare concession in response to mounting public anger.

By Monday, “lawmakers will see certain allowances scrapped and overseas work trips suspended under a new moratorium,” Subianto said.

As nationwide protests escalated across the world’s third-largest democracy last week, Subianto during the weekend summoned the country’s prominent figures and canceled a high-profile trip to China. He met with 16 religious figures and eight political leaders, including former President Megawati Sukarnopurti, the chairwoman of the country’s only formal opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Five days of protests began in Jakarta on Monday, set off by reports that all 580 lawmakers receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075) in addition to their salaries. The allowance, introduced last year, is almost 10 times the Jakarta minimum wage.