Fernando Emas Warns of a Potential “Reformasi 1998 Part II”

JAKARTA - Political observer Fernando Emas reminded President Prabowo Subianto to be aware of the potential for increased public dissatisfaction if various economic issues felt by the community are not immediately handled effectively.

Fernando considers the history of the 1998 Reformasi to be an important lesson that prolonged economic pressure can trigger a wave of large-scale social protests if it is not responded to appropriately by the government.

"I am not scaring the Prabowo government, but rather giving a warning based on real history, namely the conditions that once triggered social explosions like 1998 could potentially repeat if the government does not act immediately," Fernando told reporters, Saturday, June 13.

According to Fernando, the possibility of social unrest will not arise automatically. However, this condition can develop if the government fails to carry out improvements in the economic sector and is unable to answer the problems felt by the community.

"This means that there is still a window of opportunity for President Prabowo to take concrete and measurable steps to prevent the accumulation of public anger from reaching an uncontrollable critical point," he said.

Fernando assessed that the economic challenges faced by the community today require a quick response from the government. He highlighted various issues such as rising prices of basic necessities, pressure on people's purchasing power, to the employment situation which is still a concern.

According to him, various economic policies must continue to be evaluated in order to be able to respond to changes in the developing situation in the field.

"I give a warning because behind the warning there is a bitter reality that is felt directly by millions of Indonesian people every day. Economic policies that are not in favor of small people are not just statistical figures, they are embodied in long queues at gas stations, the price of basic goods that continue to creep up, the electricity bill that is swelling, and jobs that are increasingly difficult to reach," he said.

Fernando also highlighted the pressure on people's purchasing power due to the increase in a number of basic necessities which were considered not proportional to the increase in people's income.

In addition, he touched on the issue of unemployment and layoffs (PHK) which he said was still a concern for some people.

"The high open unemployment and half-unemployment figures, coupled with waves of layoffs from a number of industrial sectors, create real concerns among the Indonesian workforce," he said.

In his view, the government needs to conduct a thorough evaluation of the performance of ministries and agencies directly related to the economic sector. According to Fernando, the replacement of officials can be an option if it is considered necessary to accelerate the resolution of problems.

He emphasized that policy adjustments and corrective measures are part of the normal governance process in dealing with changing situations.

"The adjustment of comprehensive economic policies is also urgent. Policies formulated in certain conditions and projections must be able to adapt when reality changes. Flexibility and speed of policy response are signs of a mature and experienced government," he said.

Fernando added that the complexity of current economic challenges should not be an excuse for delaying decision-making. According to him, the government's ability to set priorities and execute policies effectively will be very important in determining the level of public confidence in the government.

"The complexity of the problem cannot be an excuse for being slow to act. In fact, in complex situations, the government's ability to prioritize, make decisions quickly with adequate data, and execute policies effectively is the most tested and most needed," he concluded.