NasDem, PAN, and Golkar Suspend Lawmakers After Public Backlash; Prabowo Backs Party Sanctions
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Three political parties suspend a group of prominent lawmakers on Sunday, Aug 31, 2025, with decisions taking effect Monday, Sep 1, 2025, after a week of public anger over controversial statements by elected representatives, a move that aims to restore calm and reaffirm accountability in the national legislature.
In separate statements, Partai NasDem (NasDem), Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN), and Partai Golongan Karya (Golkar) confirmed that the suspensions apply to members of Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR), Indonesia’s House of Representatives, within the parties’ parliamentary groups.
The steps followed a meeting of party leaders in Jakarta, where President Prabowo Subianto said parties had agreed to take decisive action to realign lawmakers with public expectations.
NasDem moves first
NasDem suspended Ahmad Sahroni and Nafa Urbach from its parliamentary group in the House as of Monday. In a letter signed by Chairman Surya Paloh and Secretary-General Hermawi Taslim on Sunday, the party said certain statements by its representatives had “offended and injured the feelings of the people,” which it deemed a deviation from the party’s mission.
Paloh said the party’s fight is a “crystallization of a people-first spirit” anchored to Indonesia’s national goals as set out in the 1945 Constitution.
Nafa Indria Urbach, a NasDem lawmaker in Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR), drew backlash on social media after she appeared to defend the Rp 50 million monthly housing allowance for lawmakers ($3,075).
In posts and videos, she argued that many members came from outside Jakarta and needed to rent accommodation near the Parliament complex in Senayan, adding that heavy traffic—including on her own commute from Bintaro—made proximity necessary.
The remarks triggered a wave of criticism online for being insensitive amid economic strain, intensifying public anger already focused on the size of the allowance itself. Urbach later apologized in an Instagram post on Saturday, Aug 30, 2025, acknowledging that her words had hurt the public and pledging to prioritize constituents’ interests.
PAN and Golkar follow with parallel measures
PAN suspended Eko Hendro Purnomo, widely known as Eko Patrio, and Surya Utama, popularly known as Uya Kuya, citing recent political tensions and urging the public to remain calm. According to local reports, both lawmakers had apologized, and their homes were targeted by looters on Saturday night amid heightened emotions.
Arithmetic blunder
Golkar later announced the suspension of Adies Kadir, Deputy Speaker of the House (DPR), from its parliamentary position effective Monday. In its statement on Sunday, Golkar expressed condolences for deaths that occurred during recent demonstrations, called for responsible political communication, and framed the step as part of strengthening internal discipline and ethics.
Adies drew sharp criticism after he argued that the Rp 50 million monthly housing allowance might still be insufficient and illustrated the point by multiplying a Rp 3 million per-month room cost by 26 workdays to claim a Rp 78 million monthly outlay—an arithmetic mistake that mixed time units.
The clip went viral and education influencer Jerome Polin publicly walked through the error, noting that a monthly rent cannot be multiplied by daily work counts; if rent is Rp 3 million per month, set against a Rp 50 million per month allowance, the notional remainder would be Rp 47 million.
Two days later, Adies corrected his statement, acknowledging the calculation was wrong and clarifying that the Rp 3 million figure referred to a monthly rent; he nonetheless maintained that the allowance level was reasonable for House members.
Prabowo signals coordinated approach
Earlier on Sunday in Jakarta, President Prabowo said party leaders had agreed to take firm action against lawmakers considered problematic, including the option to revoke House membership if necessary. He framed the response as a commitment to ensure elected representatives remain aligned with public interests and to address grievances aired during recent protests.
The parties did not immediately detail whether suspensions would lead to permanent removal from the House through a midterm replacement (PAW) process. For now, the measures signal an effort to lower tensions, reinforce party discipline, and show responsiveness to public sentiment after a week of unrest.
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