National Situation Remains Under Control, Public Urged Not to Be Provoked by ‘Indonesia Gelap’ Protest
JAKARTA — The national situation remains stable and under control. The government continues to ensure that the policies being implemented can maintain the welfare of the public.
As such, the call for mass action under the banner of ‘Indonesia Gelap’ is considered baseless and only has the potential to create panic among the public.
Hasan Nasbi, Head of the Presidential Communications Office, conveyed President Prabowo’s message that there will be no cuts to the operational costs of higher education, the Kartu Indonesia Pintar (KIP) for university students, or scholarships.
The President, Hasan Nasbi added, has also issued an instruction that no cuts to the education budget should be made.
“He also conveyed to our colleagues from universities that the President is very firm—there should be no reductions in the operational costs of higher education, KIP Kuliah, and scholarships,” said Hasan.
In line with this, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati ensured that the budget efficiency measures would not lead to the termination of honorary workers at ministries and agencies.
During a press conference at the Indonesian Parliament (DPR RI), she emphasized that no honorary workers would be laid off as a result of this policy.
“We ensure that the efficiency measures or, in this case, the budget reconstruction at ministries/agencies will not affect honorary workers,” she stated.
Furthermore, the national economy remains stable with inflation under control within the range of 1.5% to 3.5%.
Ramadhan Wafid Mustafa, Chief Statistician of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in Nunukan, stated that inflation within this range does not significantly affect the public’s purchasing power.
“What affects purchasing power is when inflation is uncontrolled, for instance, below 1.5% or above 3.5%,” he explained.
Given the stable economic condition and effective government policies, the ‘Indonesia Gelap’ protest only risks causing unnecessary unrest.
The public is urged not to be provoked and to continue their activities as usual, as shopping centers, music concerts, and other economic activities are still operating normally. (*)
