Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka took up a populist platform during the election campaign, garnering the full support from the oligarchy and mainstream political parties, and ultimately secured a victory in the 2024 presidential election.
The election of Prabowo and Gibran as president and vice president marks a new chapter in the structural suffering of the Indonesian people. This is evident in the various structural problems experienced by the ordinary people that have persisted throughout the first year of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
The Labour Movement with the People (GEBRAK) Alliance believes that the Prabowo-Gibran regime has shown its true colours since the beginning of their leadership. How could it not, with anti-people policies since the start of its leadership by increasing VAT to 12 percent which had already been rejected by the people's movement at the end of 2024. Not stopping there, in early 2025, the Prabowo-Gibran regime issued another policy through Presidential Instruction Number 1/2025. This policy pushed through budget efficiency in several quite vital ministries, such as the Ministry of Education, Health, etc. This was also met with opposition from the people's movements in various parts of Indonesia.
Furthermore, the GEBRAK Alliance also believes that the current regime is increasingly showing its true character, in keeping with its background. This was confirmed after the ratification of the Draft Law on the Indonesian Military (RUU TNI) into the TNI Law. Despite massive opposition from various elements of the public, the bill was still passed. This policy then became a legal umbrella for legalising military businesses, providing opportunities for the military to enter civilian spaces and even providing space for the military to take over national strategic programs and oversee national strategic projects (PSN).
These pseudo-populist programs that were touted as a path to prosperity have proven to be the opposite. For example, Gibran's election promise of the creation of 19 million jobs has instead seen mass layoffs that continue to plague workers to his day. Job and wage security remain a part of a series of problem that have emerged for workers at the moment. In addition to this, unequal land ownership along with the potential for increased agrarian conflicts and environmental damage are also problems that have emerged as a flow on from the national strategic food security program. Land clearing through land grabbing and deforestation are unavoidable.
One of the populist programs, often touted and deemed to have a direct impact on society is the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, which consumes a significant amount of the budget. This program has had a detrimental impact on students' health. How could it not with all the cases of food poisoning that have occurred among students due to consuming MBG, which have affected more than a thousand students. According to Tempo.com, the Indonesian Food and Drug Association (JPPI) has stated that the total number of victims of MBG poisoning to date stands at 13,168.
Anti-democratic regime: Repression as a response to popular movements
The impact of the Prabowo-Gibran administration's policies that are arbitrary and full of controversy and consistently detrimental to the people, state officials who are arrogant and show off their glamorous lifestyles amidst a weakening economy, and the mounting structural problems suffered the ordinary people, have undoubtedly led to the people becoming fed up and angry and choosing to take action and resist.
But how did Prabowo-Gibran respond? Instead of responding by improving the people's economic situation, the Prabowo-Gibran regime shamelessly pushed the view that the people's movement was being exploited by foreign parties, a movement that was illegal and should be dealt with firmly, and even accused the people's movement of terrorism and makar (treason, subversion, rebellion).
Apart from trying to influence opinion and corner the people's movement, the Prabowo-Gibran regime also very clearly shows its anti-democratic character as can be seen from the actions of the police in responding to the people's movement in the form of brutal repressive actions, criminalisation, arrests and hunting down protesters, and this is still going on to this day.
To date, at least 998 people have been named as suspects, including 265 minors. They have been charged under articles related to incitement, assault, arson, resisting officers, theft and property damage under the Criminal Code (KUHP), disseminating provocative information through social media under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, and the possession of sharp weapons, Molotov cocktails and firecrackers under Emergency Law Number 12/1951.
This of course is an effort to spread fear (fear mongering) among the people's movement and at the same time provide a warning, that the Prabowo-Gibran regime with the existing state instruments has a great deal of power, so that at any time it will not hesitate to continue to undermine the people's movement with repressive actions and criminalisation, and it does not rule out the possibility of actions to eliminate activists like under the New Order era of former president Suharto.
The series of problems above represent only a small portion of the complex issues that emerged during the first year of the Prabowo-Gibran administration. The problems faced by the people include tax increases, the rising prices of basic necessities, low wages, mass layoffs, land grabbing, high tuition fees and other issues that reflect worsening levels of poverty and structural inequality that are a bitter reality that the Indonesian people must face. During the first year of the Prabowo-Gibran regime, almost nothing good has come to the Indonesian people, and their suffering continues.
The GEBRAK Alliance believes that the elite are actively consolidating themselves to maintain their power, therefore the people's movement, labour movement, the student movement and other pro-democracy movements should also consolidate to determine a long-term political vision to strengthen unity in order intensify resistance to strike back at the oppressive rulers.
Through this statement, the GEBRAK Alliance conveys the people's urgent demands to be immediately implemented by the Prabowo-Gibran government regime:
1. Unconditionally release all political prisoners arrested for fighting for their rights.
2. Implement genuine agrarian reform to restructure the inequality in the control, ownership, use and utilisation of land.
3. Build strong industrialisation under people's control.
4. Create formal and decent jobs for all Indonesians.
5. Lower the prices of basic necessities.
6. Thoroughly evaluate the MBG program, which has caused thousands of students to be poisoned and suspend the program until food safety is guaranteed.
7. Provide technology, capital, knowledge and markets for farmers.
8. Implement a minimum wage for state officials equal to that of ordinary workers.
9. Implement progressive taxation for the wealthy and state officials.
10. Confiscate the assets of corruptors for the welfare of the people.
11. Realise free, scientific, democratic and people-oriented education from kindergarten to university without conditions.
12. Achieve true democracy as widely as possible.
13. Return the Indonesian Military (TNI) to the barracks and abolish the territorial command structure.
14. End repressive and brutal actions by the authorities against people's movements.
Organisations affiliated with the GEBRAK Alliance:
The Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI) Confederation, the Confederation of United Indonesian Workers (KPBI), the National Labour Movement Centre (SGBN), the National Trade Union Confederation (KSN), the Media and Creative Industries Trade Union for Democracy (SINDIKASI), the Banking Trade Union Communication Network (Jarkom SP Perbankan), the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA), the Progressive Students School (SEMPRO), the United People's Struggle (KPR), the Indonesian Workers Federation of Struggle (FPBI), the Indonesian Students Union (SMI), the Indonesian Student League for Democracy (LMID), the Indonesian High-School Students Federation (FIJAR), the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Food and Beverage Trade Union Federation (FSBMM), the Independent Trade Union Federation (FSPM), the Industry Workers Federation (FKI), the Indonesian Transport Workers Union (SPAI), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment(WALHI), Greenpeace Indonesia (GP), Trend Asia (TA), the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence), Jentera College of Law (STIH Jentera) Student Executive Council (BEM), the Campus Employees Union (SPK), Amartya House, Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan), the Sedane Labour Resource Centre (LIPS), Free Women (Perempuan Mahardhika), the Indonesian United Health and Medical Workers Trade Union (KSPTMKI), Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW), the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI), the Socialist Union (Perserikatan Sosialis), the Socialist Youth Group Organisation, the People's Liberation Party.
Contact persons
- Sunarno – KASBI
- Dewi Kartika – KPA
- Ricky – SEMPRO
- Martin – KPR
- Isnur – YLBHI
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Sikap Politik GEBRAK 1 Tahun Rezim Prabowo-Gibran".]
Source: https://www.arahjuang.com/2025/10/25/sikap-politik-gebrak-1-tahun-rezim-prabowo-gibran/
