The President has set up a new body to manage the mega seawall project on Java's northern coast, leaving observers wondering about its feasibility and capacity amid a swelling bureacracy and a strained budget.

The week's protests were the most violent since President Prabowo Subianto took office in October, and mark an early challenge for the president who has pledged fast, state-driven growth.

President Prabowo Subianto has urged calm as public anger mounts following the death of an online ride-hailing driver who was run over by a police tactical vehicle during clashes in Central Jakarta on Thursday evening.

In a recorded video shared with the press, Prabowo also asked people to remain calm after the protest on Thursday and to continue trusting the government.

The civilian, a motorcycle ride-sharing driver, was hit at the site of violent clashes on Thursday near parliament as police sought to disperse demonstrators protesting about issues including lawmakers' pay and education funding. 

The police response to the protests drew strong criticism after videos circulated on social media showing a black tactical vehicle running over a man.

The death of an online motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver during Thursday’s protests in Jakarta has ignited a firestorm of public indignation, with social media erupting in outrage over police brutality and even larger crowds taking to the streets on Friday. 

Under pressure from a potential internal revolt, Golkar chairman Bahlil Lahadalia turned to President Prabowo Subianto, reaffirming the party’s loyalty to the current government in what observers see as a bid to shield himself from alleged efforts to unseat him.

While differing from other recent protests against lawmakers' excessive paychecks, analysts said the rallies by labor unions shared the same calls for the legislature to be more responsive to the public's concerns.

The Constitutional Court has banned deputy ministers from holding second jobs at state-owned enterprises (SOEs), a common practice during the administration of Prabowo Subianto.

Such disinformation, particularly on TikTok and Meta's Instagram, has stoked anger and spurred protests against the government, Deputy Communications and Digital Minister, Angga Raka Prabowo, told Reuters.

Under pressure from the public, the House of Representatives has clarified that lawmakers will only receive the controversial Rp 50 million (US$3,065) monthly housing allowance until October, but critics have called for transparency over the policy, insisting that it is still a waste of public money.

After the questioning, the Pati Regent claimed he had not received any illicit money from the bribery case pertaining to the construction and maintenance of railways in Central Java, saying that the money seized by the KPK was his paycheck as a lawmaker.

Following a protest over lawmakers' pay that turned violent on Monday, the communications ministry has called a meeting with major social media platforms to discuss improved oversight, especially the active removal of false or fake online content with the potential to incite public disorder and unrest.

Chairman of the BPOM Taruna Ikrar said the agency would assign a team of its scientists to conduct laboratory tests to check if food trays, which were imported from China, contained non-halal substances, specifically pork lard.

Responding to Monday’s protest, House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the allowance would only be provided until October this year.

President Prabowo Subianto has conferred civilian honors on more than 100 national figures, with many of the medals going to his closest political allies, cabinet members, campaign financiers and even a family member.

The new ministry, an upgrade from the Haj Organizing Agency (BP Haji), will handle the organization and management of the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, as mandated by the 2019 Haj Law revision.

Hundreds of people marched in the streets around the House of Representatives complex in Central Jakarta on Monday in protest at lawmakers' excessive salaries and rampant corruption in the country.

Some protesters, clad in dark clothing, threw rocks and set off fireworks at riot police in the capital Jakarta. At least one motorcycle was set ablaze by protesters, but officials did not provide details of damage, any casualties or arrests. 

Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the government aimed for the legislature to start deliberations for the bill before the end of this year. 

The House of Representatives and the government have agreed to elevate the Haj Organizing Agency (BP Haji) into a full ministry and introduce broader changes in the management of the annual pilgrimage, as part of ongoing deliberations to revise the 2019 Haj Law.

The arrest of former deputy manpower minister Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan in a corruption case could mark a turning point for President Prabowo Subianto’s new administration, testing his anticorruption drive while giving him an opening to refresh his cabinet.

The House of Representatives has come under scrutiny after granting its members a Rp 50 million (US$3,054) housing allowance, a benefit critics argue highlights misplaced priorities in a legislature that has struggled to deliver laws and is widely viewed as a government “rubber stamp”.

Deputy Manpower Minister Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan allegedly received at least Rp 3 billion (US$183,859) and a sports motorcycle from an extortion ring pertaining to work safety certification, which inflated the application fee by around 20 times.

As part of the money laundering investigation, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) seized luxury cars owned by people allegedly affiliated with the businessman and put the suspect on its most-wanted list.

The House of Representatives has unanimously appointed senior House staff member Inosentius Samsul as a Constitutional Court justice in a confirmation hearing lasting less than two hours, a swift process critics say underscores the dominance of political interests in judicial appointments.