UPDATE - Indonesian lawmakers set to lose perks as Prabowo moves to placate protests

UPDATES WITH INDONESIAN LAWMAKERS LOSING THEIR PERKS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS SECOND DECK

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday announced that political parties have decided to cancel several benefits and privileges for parliamentarians, after violent protests and riots left at least four people dead in the Southeast Asian nation.

Prabowo said that the political parties have accepted that perks, including the amount of allowances to lawmakers, would be reduced and the moratorium on overseas working visits, according to local broadcaster Kompas TV.

Prabowo has cancelled his trip to China due to ongoing protests in several Indonesian cities where demonstrators have burnt local legislative buildings.

Prabowo was scheduled to travel to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the Victory Day Parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The protests, which began earlier this week, targeted lawmakers’ allowances. In addition to their salaries, members of the parliament receive a monthly housing stipend of 50 million rupiah ($3,057) – nearly 10 times Jakarta’s minimum wage.

Police action fueled more protests after a 21-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, was killed after being hit by a police armored vehicle on Thursday.

Affan was reportedly completing a food delivery service order when he was caught in the clash following days of violent demonstrations.

Protesters attacked police outposts and set fire to the city's police command headquarters, destroying dozens of vehicles, shattering windows, leveling guard posts, and injuring officers with stones and torched several vehicles with rocks and Molotov cocktails, injuring four people.

At least three people were killed in violent protests across the country.

Thousands of motorcycle riders, along with rights activists and politicians, attended his burial on Friday and three more people died late Friday night.

Prabowo on Friday expressed regret over the incident and ordered an investigation into a police officer who fatally struck Affan with an armored vehicle.

The president said the officers involved must be held accountable, as he was shocked and disappointed by the excessive actions of the officer.

On Thursday, thousands of Indonesian workers had rallied outside the House of Representatives in Jakarta to protest low wages, outsourcing practices and rising perks for lawmakers.

Protesters demanded an end to outsourcing, low wages and mass layoffs, and called for a special task force to monitor job cuts. They also urged labor tax reforms, including raising the non-taxable income threshold, eliminating taxes on severance pay, holiday bonuses and retirement savings.