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"People's Money!": Indonesians Loot TVs, Bathtubs, and Iron-Man Statue From Politicians' Homes Amid Protest
How locals are acting up against perks and salaries of public officials.
Published on Sep 2, 2025
(SPOT.ph) Corruption isn’t
a story unique to the Philippines. All over Southeast Asia, people are growing
restless with out-of-touch leadership. In Indonesia, it’s reached the
point where protesters have stormed the
homes of top government officials accused of corruption.
Several videos circulating on
social media show protesters breaking into the home of National Democratic
Party parliamentarian Ahmad Sahroni, who was widely seen as tone-deaf after
calling those demanding the dissolution of the parliament “the dumbest people
in the world” on August 30. Sahroni is known for flaunting his fleet of luxury cars on social media (like our very own Sarah Discaya, he
had a whole showroom full of them).
A few hours after his statement, protesters
broke into his home in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta. Inside, they took everything
they could get their hands on, including firearms, a bathtub, and a life-sized
Iron Man statue, all the while chanting “duit rakyat” or “people's money.” His
prized cars weren’t spared either.
The raids didn’t stop there. That same day, a crowd forced open the gates of two more lawmakers: Eko Patrio and Uya Kuya. Both were already under fire for a viral video of them dancing during parliament’s annual session earlier this month. Apologies followed, but not before their homes had been ransacked. Looters were seen hauling out beds, suitcases, televisions, air conditioning units, and even Uya Kuya's pet cats. By the time the mob was done, the house was trashed and covered in graffiti.
On August 31, the upscale Bintaro residence of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati in South Tangerang was hit next, looted and left in ruins like the others.
What’s causing the protests in Indonesia?
Triggering these waves of protests
are the new allowance packages for Indonesian lawmakers—including a housing allowance
worth 100 million rupiah (approximately P350,000)—at a time when ordinary
citizens are struggling to get by. That amount is reportedly 30 times the average national income in Indonesia.
Anger also grew over President Prabowo Subianto's budget cuts to education, health, and public works.
The unrest has escalated into some of the
most violent seen in years. Aside from looting the homes of parliament members, crowds have stormed police stations and torched government
offices. However, it wasn’t until the death of delivery driver Affan Kurniawan, run over by a police vehicle during a rally he wasn't even involved in, that the demonstrations became even more intense.
Subianto moved quickly on September 1 to scrap the controversial allowance and suspend overseas trips for members of parliament.
“Leaders in parliament have
conveyed that they will revoke a number of parliament policies, including the
size of allowances for members of parliament and a moratorium on overseas work
trips,” Prabowo said. “To the police and the military, I have ordered them to
take action as firm as possible against the destruction of public facilities,
looting at homes of individuals and economic centers, according to the laws."
It’s clear that Indonesians have had
enough of government officials who seem to put themselves first over the people they're meant to serve. Watching citizens act out their grievances, it’s hard not to think about
our own backyard—where controversies on flood-control projects pile up by the day—and wonder: how much more can we take before we reach that point?
Also read: Why Claudine Co’s Name Is All Over Your Feed
Micah believes that writing is always political. Beyond the byline, you’ll find her bruising herself in a pole studio or napping with her beagle. Reach her at micah@spot.ph.
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