PDIP Calls for End to Excessive Allowances for Lawmakers
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI Perjuangan, has called for the termination of housing allowances and other benefits deemed excessive for members of the House of Representatives.
Central Executive Board Chairman of PDI Perjuangan Said Abdullah said on Saturday, Aug 30, 2025, that politics must be guided not only by rational agreements but also by ethics, empathy, and sympathy at all times.
“Allowances for lawmakers are not merely a matter of financial entitlements. They must also reflect ethical standards, empathy, and sympathy,” Said stated in a written address.
He stressed that the issue should serve as a lesson for parliament moving forward. According to him, decisions about lawmakers’ allowances should not be limited to agreements between factions. Instead, members must ask themselves whether it is appropriate to receive extraordinary benefits when the public is struggling economically and questioning parliament’s performance as the people’s representative.
Said argued that if lawmakers adopt ethical considerations as their measure, there would no longer be allowances or facilities that exceed reasonable standards. “If every member of parliament had empathy for the lives of ordinary Indonesians, many of whom still face hardship, there would be no excessive facilities funded by taxpayers,” he said.
He added that if lawmakers worked with sympathy, listened to citizens, and truly articulated public aspirations, then society would not question the relevance and usefulness of parliament. “By continuously fighting for the aspirations of the people, the dignity of parliament will take care of itself,” he explained.
For PDI Perjuangan, Said emphasized, these three values — ethics, empathy, and sympathy — are the lifeblood of politics in parliament, beyond legal or formal agreements. He noted that the leadership of the party’s parliamentary faction has reminded its members to maintain a sense of crisis, practice tepo seliro (mutual consideration), and remain vigilant.
“Parliament is a showcase of democracy, where the people have the right to question everything that appears inappropriate or improper,” said Said, who also chairs the House Budget Committee.
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