The Suspicious Silence of the People's Representatives

Lately, the government has been abuzz with talk of “efficiency”. Budgets are being slashed, spending tightened, and programmes scrutinised. The key word is just one: “SAVINGS”. The scale is no small matter. For 2025, cuts to ministry and agency spending will reach around Rp 256.1 trillion, plus a reduction in transfers to regions amounting to Rp 50.59 trillion. These are substantial figures capable of altering the face of many public services, from schools and community health centres to social assistance programmes. But something is odd: amid a policy of this magnitude, political parties—which should serve as the “voice of the people”—sound remarkably subdued, even tending towards silence. Normally, budget issues are a “fertile ground” for political debate in Senayan. This is where parties can demonstrate their stance: what should be cut, and what must be preserved. Yet this time, the response from these people’s representatives feels very flat. There is scant fierce criticism, no meaningful political pressure. It is as if this slashing of hundreds of trillions of rupiah is proceeding without any political uproar. The impacts, however, are very real. When budgets are reduced, the first to feel the effects are the essentials needed by society at the most basic level. So the question is very simple: why aren’t the political parties making a fuss? In 2024, total financial assistance to parties reached more than Rp 33.6 billion, with the initial disbursement phase even touching nearly Rp 94.7 billion. On paper, these funds are used for political education and cadre development processes. But in practice, this budget also creates complicated relationships: parties oversee the state, yet they are simultaneously dependent on it. This situation is akin to someone wanting to criticise but still “living off” the system. It is difficult to be truly outspoken.