Said Iqbal Responds to Doubts He Will Cease Being Critical After Becoming Prabowo's Adviser

Labour Party President and leader of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal, has spoken out regarding doubts that he will no longer be critical on labour issues following his appointment as Presidential Special Adviser on Employment and Labour Welfare by President Prabowo Subianto. During his time active in the labour movement, Said stated he has never considered diplomacy and lobbying taboo. He noted that the labour masses, particularly KSPI and the Labour Party, have adhered to the ‘KLA Project’ strategy. He explained that ‘K’ stands for concept, ‘L’ for lobby, and ‘A’ for action. ‘Project’ can also be interpreted as politics. ‘Thus, we do not taboo lobbying, approaches, or compromise, but it is also not taboo to take action at certain times,’ Said stated in an interview with CNNIndonesia.com on Tuesday. Although officially inaugurated, Said admitted it is not easy for himself or the Labour Party to get closer to power. He believes the decision must remain based on political ideology and policy. During his time as a labour activist, Said noted that power is not taboo. This principle is widely held by labour organisations globally, many of which have grown into political parties. ‘So power is not something taboo. It is an important part of the exit process,’ he said. He cited examples, noting that a governor’s decision on minimum wage increases is a political decision, as are social security provisions for workers and the benchmark for goods price increases. ‘So power is important for workers so that their struggle can be accepted,’ he said. Said Iqbal stated that KSPI and its affiliated trade unions have supported Prabowo successively since the 2014 Presidential Election. He is confident Prabowo will realise several labour aspirations. ‘And that is indeed the reality. For example, in the 10 years before Prabowo, there was no minimum wage increase—zero,’ he said.