In brief
In Jakarta, hundreds of workers rallied behind President Prabowo amid allegations of illegal wiretapping, while a separate group of women marched to denounce fires, free‑meal programme and a tax on sanitary products. Police have named four senior officers as suspects in the alleged wiretap, and a leaked audio clip has stirred additional controversy, though the clip is alleged to be edited.
On Saturday, Jakarta, hundreds of workers marched in support of President Prabowo Subianto while a separate group of women gathered to protest his policies over wildfires, a costly free‑meal programme and a tax on sanitary products.
Workers Rally
The pro‑Prabowo demonstration was led by Labour Party chairperson Said Iqbal, a special adviser to the president, who urged union members to mobilise against “those who threaten the former general’s presidency.â€�
Iqbal told Reuters that he would mobilise union members across every town and factory and that they were prepared to respond to any unrest that might arise. Reuters noted that police have named four senior officers as suspects in an attempt to intercept Prabowo’s communications, including a former police chief loyal to former President Joko Widodo. A lawyer for one of the suspects said the client would cooperate with the investigation.
Women Protest
Hundreds of women marched in Jakarta, demanding more women’s rights and protesting the president’s handling of the forest fires, the free‑meal programme and a tax on women’s sanitary products, according to the Straits Times.
The rally reflected growing public discontent, especially after student protests earlier in the month in Jakarta and other cities.
"We can mobilise members of our organisation across every town, every factory," Q said.
Source: Reuters
"We will not let the free-meal programme continue to drain national resources," said a protestor.
Source: Straits Times
In related controversy, a leaked audio clip claiming that President Prabowo called Indonesians “lackeys” was said to be an edited snippet from a 2014 TVOne interview, according to Tempo. The clip has yet to be verified.
