Appointed as Presidential Advisor, Said Iqbal to Fight for Labour Rights from Within

President Prabowo Subianto has inaugurated Said Iqbal as the Special Advisor to the President for Employment and Labour Welfare. Said Iqbal stated that he has held discussions with various labour unions regarding his entry into the government.

“For us, after discussing it within the KSPI (Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions) specifically, and with our labour comrades, we decided to also fight from within the government,” Said stated at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday (8/6/2026).

Said revealed his reasons for accepting the presidential assignment as Special Advisor, noting his intention to provide direct input to Prabowo regarding the rights of labourers and the lower class. “Because, based on the struggle platform, President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to the common people—including labourers, farmers, fishermen, and teachers—has encouraged us to work alongside him to provide input and maintain balance,” he said.

According to him, while advisors providing input from the perspective of capital owners already exist, there is currently a void regarding the perspective of the working class. “We always see visibly through figures such as Mr Luhut, Mr Airlangga, Mr Bahlil, and Mr Rosan, who provide much input regarding capital ownership. However, there is none from the labour side,” he remarked.

Furthermore, Said emphasised that his presence within the government will not diminish the critical stance of labour groups. “I have taken the initiative to strive and exert effort, believing that I must provide balance to the causes fought for by the labour class. Democratically, this will not reduce our critical capacity regarding labour issues. I think that is all,” he concluded.