Indonesian celebrities unite to ‘speak up for democracy’ amid election law protests
Film star Reza Rahadian, director Joko Anwar among those to join protests, in contrast to celebrities’ general reticence about politics
Among the throng outside the parliament building in Jakarta was Reza Rahadian, a household name in film and music, who electrified the crowd with a passionate speech delivered from atop a truck.
“Today, I can’t stay silent any more,” he told protesters on Thursday, voicing the frustration of many at a constitutional court decision that’s likely to be annulled “by the very institution that says it is the representative of all of us every day”.
While anti-government protests are nothing new in Indonesia, the presence of high-profile figures like Reza and acclaimed director Joko Anwar signals a significant shift. Typically reticent about political issues, these entertainers are stepping into the fray, highlighting the seriousness of the moment.
The unrest erupted in Jakarta and other cities across Indonesia after the House of Representatives announced plans last week to override regional election rules set by the constitutional court.
Joko, whose recent Netflix series Nightmares and Daydreams has garnered acclaim, articulated the widespread discontent.
Indonesians were “fed up with the authorities and the people’s representatives who have always considered the people stupid”, he told This Week in Asia.
“They act as if the people don’t exist by arbitrarily playing around with the law to gain power, and this regional election issue was our boiling point,” he said. “We have had enough.”
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Indonesia protests rage as lawmakers shelve plan to change election law
Tensions escalated further when public figures began sharing a stark image of a blue background with the words Peringatan Darurat (Emergency Warning) across social media – often accompanied by messages asserting Indonesia’s democracy was in a state of emergency.
The ruling would have enabled opposition figure Anies Baswedan, who lost the February presidential election to Prabowo Subianto, to run for the governorship of Jakarta in November. The court also upheld a minimum age requirement of 30, preventing Widodo’s son, Kaesang Pangarep, from seeking the deputy governorship of Central Java.
However, a day after the decision, parliament announced plans to pass a reformed election law that would override the court’s ruling, disqualifying Anies while paving the way for Kaesang.
Gibran, 36, was able to run for the vice-presidency in February’s election thanks to a contentious constitutional court ruling that lowered the age threshold, allowing him to run despite not meeting the original minimum age requirement of 40.
‘It’s about democracy’
Film star Reza told This Week in Asia that his participation at the protest had been spontaneous.
“I thought I would just go and join the students who were protesting. I didn’t think or expect that I was going there to say anything. It was organic.”
He said he had been heartened by the court ruling, only to be bitterly disappointed by parliament’s attempt to annul it.
“It was a turning point for me. The Indonesian people have already accepted so much,” he said. “This was not personal for me, but about democracy in the future. They went too far this time.”
In response to the widespread protests and palpable public anger, Indonesia’s parliament announced that it had “postponed” the passage of the controversial revisions to the election law.
“Whether celebrities speaking out has an effect is debatable,” Reza said of the parliament’s decision to backtrack. “I don’t think the decision was because of one group, but because of all the groups coming together at the demonstrations from all strata of society.”
He acknowledged the fear many feel about saying the wrong thing, yet emphasised the importance of speaking out. “It is very important to speak up about democracy. If I can do more, I will,” he said.
Joko echoed this sentiment, stating that it was “very important” for public figures to join the protests.
“Public figures have a large following, so of course what we say will reach many people. What is also important is that this shows that all members of society, whatever their profession, must work together to fight the corrupt government and the people’s representatives,” he said.
“We will keep joining the protests physically and keep protesting through social media.”
Ian Wilson, a lecturer in politics and security studies at Perth’s Murdoch University, said it was “good to see people speak up about electoral democracy”.
“But the true test will be to see if it is just at this moment, or if it will continue when it is not as safe. It is a safer time to do it now” at the end of an outgoing president’s term, he said.
Wilson said the widespread praise for Joko and Reza highlighted the broader issue of a scarcity of public figures willing to engage openly in political discourse in Indonesia.
“It speaks to a vacuum of leadership and we don’t really have many opposition figures outside politicians and activists with a coherent narrative,” he said. “There isn’t really an opposition figure or a moral voice, which people usually prefer to political figures.”
Wilson said Reza’s spontaneous speech had resonated so deeply with the crowd because of its authenticity.
“He was not sounding self-interested, and that is why it touched people,” Wilson said.
“People like someone who is very successful and powerful speaking up because the assumption is that, if you are popular and powerful, then you don’t have to do that. It speaks across class lines.”
