Prabowo faces discontent over wildfire response and cost-of-living woes

The haze from wildfires in Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra has spread hundreds of kilometres to Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, raising fears of a regional health crisis. The fires, fuelled by El Nino and human activity such as slash-and-burn farming, are among the worst on record. The government has refused to declare them a national disaster, a label that would ease the entry of foreign aid.

Rama, a Sumatra resident who developed chest pain and breathing difficulties due to the bad air, said: “The situation has gotten so severe – yet instead of empathy, the government is turning a blind eye to our suffering.” Kurniawan, 35, who lives in Central Kalimantan province, said he had hoped Prabowo would bring efficiency: “We had high hopes that his government would operate efficiently under one command. I am very, very disappointed.” Both voters asked to be identified only by part of their name to speak freely.

Prabowo, a former general discharged from the military in 1998 for involvement in the abduction and torture of pro-democracy activists under the Suharto regime, cast himself as the candidate of continuity in the 2024 election. Discontent has spilled onto the streets, with protesters rallying under the hashtag #indonesiasadar ("Wake Up, Indonesia") and raising a three-finger salute. A poll found three-fourths of Indonesians felt stressed by government policies, citing high prices and a lack of job opportunities.

Critics accuse the administration of executive overreach, including seeking to tighten state control over the economy by trying to centralise commodity exports, expanding military power, prosecuting critics and detaining hundreds of protesters. Prabowo has pushed through populist policies such as a free meal program that sickened thousands of children. MSCI, a financial firm, has raised alarms about structural issues in the economy, saying it is considering labelling Indonesia unsafe for investment. Stocks and the rupiah have plunged this year.

Achmad Nur Hidayat, an economics lecturer at University of Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta, said: “Despite having a demographic bonus, abundant natural resources and the potential for progress, we seem to be going nowhere. Our development is driven not by rationality, but by political consolidation.”

Prabowo has also faced accusations of cronyism, with major national projects frequently awarded to political allies and oligarchs, including his brother, Hashim Djojohadikusumo. The president has denied those claims.

In a speech last month in Jakarta, Prabowo remained defiant: “Our country continues to face all sorts of disturbances, for instance, the actions of MSCI. They are trying to intimidate us. We keep being obstructed, right? The Indonesian nation fears no one and will not flinch. Furthermore, if necessary, we will implement large-scale austerity measures.”

Gunawan, 61, a Jakarta resident who voted for Prabowo because of his links to former president Joko Widodo, now feels “cheated.” He said: “We did wrong, that’s why we have to speak up, voice our regrets. What we are seeing now is a regime with no vision other than enriching its own circle and the oligarchs.”