DPR: In a State of Crisis, the People Do Not Only Wait for Government Decisions But Wait for Examples of Prudent States

JAKARTA - Member of the DPR from the Gerindra Party Faction, Azis Subekti, highlighted the threat of a monetary crisis amid a global situation that is heating up due to the Middle East war.

He assessed that this condition urges the country to be frugal because the threat will affect the basic needs of the community in all sectors.

In this case, the people are not only waiting for government policies but also savings from the center.

"There is an old lesson that always repeats itself in history: war is never really far away. It may erupt thousands of kilometers from our homes, but the echoes of its roar slowly reach the people's kitchens. Sometimes it does not come in the form of bombs. It comes in the form of soaring oil prices, creeping rice prices, or suddenly swelling state subsidy figures like a dam that holds water for too long," said Azis Subekti in his statement, Monday, March 16.

Therefore, continued Azis, President Prabowo Subianto's speech at the cabinet meeting at the State Palace on March 13, 2026 should not be read as a bureaucratic routine, but rather to be understood as a subtle knock on the awareness of the world that is moving towards uncertainty, and Indonesia does not have the luxury of pretending to be outside the vortex.

Azis said, amid the tension between Iran vs Israel - America, the world's attention was again focused on a narrow line on the map, namely the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is only about thirty kilometers wide at its narrowest part, but almost a fifth of the world's oil passes through the route every day.

Giant tankers move like modern caravans that carry blood to the global economic body. According to Azis, if the line is disrupted by war, blockade, or just military tension, it is not only the Middle East but the whole world that shakes.

"Indonesia is not a Gulf country. But we are a country that depends on energy imports. That means that any turmoil in Hormuz is almost certain to reach the desks of decision makers in Jakarta. When oil prices soar, countries are faced with a choice that is equally bitter: raising energy prices domestically or adding to the burden of subsidies in the state budget," said the Gerindra legislator for Central Java.

"At that point, the example mentioned about Pakistan is interesting. The country chose an unpopular step: cutting officials' facilities, reducing the use of bureaucratic energy, and holding back non-essential state spending. Such steps may seem technical. But in fact it contains a very deep message: the state must first restrain itself before asking the people to sacrifice," Azis continued.

The member of Commission II of the DPR said that history is full of examples like this. During the world war, he said, many countries turned off the city lights early, limited fuel, and even cut the salaries of high officials.

The state wants to show that the crisis is not only a burden on the little people, but a shared responsibility of all state officials.

"This is where I feel that the speech contains a quieter but important message. The message is not only for economists or budget makers.

"It is actually addressed to all state servants, both those in military uniform and those working in the quiet of the civil bureaucratic table. That devotion to the state is not merely carrying out administrative duties or structural command. Devotion also means the willingness to refrain when the nation faces difficult times," he said.

"In the experience of many nations, crises rarely start from the economy. It often arises from geopolitical tensions that seem far away, then spreads like a small crack in the wall that slowly collapses the entire building. Therefore, the greatest test for Indonesia is not merely whether we are able to survive the global economic shock. History shows that this nation has been able to pass through the storm many times. The more difficult test is this:

"Whether the country is able to show moral leadership when the storm comes," continued Azis.

Azis assessed that the people usually do not mind being frugal if they see their leaders living the same simplicity. But the sacrifice will taste bitter if the people witness the country still running in luxury.

"In the old tradition of leadership, such an attitude has a name that is almost forgotten today: the asceticism of power, the ability of a leader to restrain himself before he asks the people to restrain their lives," he said.

Azis explained, the history of Islam has given a very clear example through the figure of Umar bin Abdul Aziz. Before becoming the caliph, he was known as a nobleman who lived luxuriously, his clothes were beautiful, his body was well-groomed, and his life was surrounded by comfort. However, after taking power, his life changed drastically, his clothes were simple, his food was ordinary, even the state's oil lamp he did not use for personal affairs.

"For Umar, power is not a luxury to be enjoyed.

"It is a trust that one day history will ask, and God. That is where we really find the core of all the talk about the energy crisis, geopolitics, and state savings. In the end, people understand one very simple thing: when the storm comes, the captain of the ship must stand at the forefront of the deck, feeling the same wind as the crew. Not hiding in the warmest cabin," he explained.

"If the world is really moving towards a more difficult time, then what this nation needs most is not just the right economic policy. What is more important is the example of those who claim to serve the country. Because in every crisis, the people are actually not just waiting for government decisions. They are waiting for an example," concluded Azis Subekti.