Presidential Adviser Condemns 'Inhumane' Confinement of Printing Workers in Jakarta

Presidential Special Adviser for Employment and Worker Welfare, Said Iqbal, has stated that the case of employees confined at a printing company in Senen, Central Jakarta, has drawn the attention of President Prabowo Subianto. According to him, the actions of the printing company owner also violated the second principle of Pancasila. This was conveyed by Said Iqbal during a press conference at the Metro Jaya Regional Police Headquarters. Initially, Said Iqbal mentioned that he had met one of the victims named Tegar. “There I found several things, one: it is true that the three of them, including Tegar, were treated inhumanely, among other things: they were paraded without going through a legal process,” Said Iqbal said on Friday (3/7/2026). Said Iqbal felt moved by the condition of the victim and his family. Tegar’s father is an ice seller. “What touched my heart—and I am sure the president will also give special attention—is that his father is just an ice seller, a poor man, and his child was treated like that until he cried, inhumanely, paraded,” he added. Said Iqbal is confident that President Prabowo Subianto is giving special attention to this case. Moreover, Prabowo has often spoken about the people’s hope for him to defend the weak. “Mr President Prabowo, to fellow workers and the Indonesian people, conveys a message to always protect the people, always side with the weak, always serve the little people, do not hurt the people’s hearts, do not make the people suffer, that is what he always conveys to us and in his speeches before the people,” he explained. Continuing his findings from the meeting with Tegar and his legal counsel, it was discovered that the victims were treated very inhumanely. Apart from being confined for 21 days, they were also chained. “Secondly, my findings based on the victim’s explanation and the lawyer are that they were confined and not given food for 3 days, chained and treated in an uncivilised and inhumane manner,” he said. “In principle, if there are workers suspected of violating the law, the handling should be done legally by the employer or entrepreneur, not by taking the law into one’s own hands, treating them inhumanely and uncivilisedly,” he continued. According to him, the treatment of the three victims by the printing company owner has violated the fundamental principles of Pancasila. “It violates the second principle of Pancasila, just and civilised humanity,” he concluded.