Members Of The House Of Representatives Have Fun Jogeting After The Session Reflects The Tone Deaf, Politics Is Getting Far From Social Reality

A protest-style graffiti for members of the legislature who are tone-deaf, is not sensitive to the social conditions of the community, during a major demonstration at the DPR Building, Senayan, Monday (25/8/2025). (VOI/Bambang E Ros)

JAKARTA The dancing action of DPR members in the midst of economic conditions like today has made the public furious. Observers assess, this shows that politics in Indonesia is cut off from social reality.

The annual session of the MPR/DPR which was held on August 15 is still keeping the story. Based on viral video recordings on social media, representatives of the people including Eko Patrio and Surya Utama or better known as Ma a Uya Kuya, look engrossed in dancing.

At almost the same time, news also emerged about the income of DPR members reaching more than Rp. 100 million, including a number of allowances such as rice allowances of Rp. 12 million, home allowances of Rp. 50 million, communication allowances of Rp. 15 million, and others.

The DPR members, who in fact should be representatives of the people, were accused of being insensitive because they chose to dance happily in the midst of difficulties for most residents.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Adies Kadir, said that the members of the House of Representatives danced after the event was over. He also said that every year there is always music after the annual session.

Meanwhile, cultural observer Hikmat Darmawan explained, in the last two years, Indonesian politics is based on populism, with communication strategies packaged in popular forms of entertainment such as dancing gemies and the like.

Video footage showing DPR members dancing accompanied by songs from the Sajojo and Fa Mi Re areas during the closing session of the trial sparked the unrest of netizens. Most of them considered the action unethical because it was carried out in the DPR building where members should contribute their thoughts to the aspirations of the people.

Some consider the dance action to show the insensitivity of DPR members towards today's economic situation. In the midst of the people's great burden and economic difficulties, members of the DPR are actually privileged by the increase in income.

Joget, which was carried out by officials in this country, is actually not the first time this has happened. In 2022, in the era of President Joko Widodo, the ceremony to commemorate independence that had previously been formal changed to be more relaxed.

At the end of the ceremony to commemorate Indonesia's 77th Anniversary at the Palace, the organizers played a Koplo song titled Ojo Compared to the one sung by Farel Prayoga and at that time it was indeed viral.

Accompanied by the chanting of the song, First Lady Iriana Jokowi and several other officials were engrossed in dancing. Previously, the songs that were performed always had nationalism nuances.

At that time, many observers considered the dancing event to be part of Jokowi's image politics, which was described as a populist figure, simple, and far from the impression of strict protocol.

Cultural observer Hikmat Darmawan said that the main problem of dancing the members of the DPR is not a matter of whether it is appropriate or not to dance in the state's official forum, because this must be seen in relation to the political context that surrounds it.

In the past few years, according to Hikmat Darmawan's observations, Indonesian politics is increasingly based on populism, with communication strategies packaged in popular forms of entertainment such as clubbing and the like. People, he said, were invited to dance and not discuss substance or policy.

Approaches like this have risks. Politics turns into a kind of stage that only plays in the realm of image and emotion, until it has been cut off from the social reality that people face over for a long time. Politicians also become tone deaf, aka not sensitive to the community's situation.

"Even though the people are not looking for cheap entertainment on political screens. They need life certainty. Starting from affordable food prices, accessible education and health, as well as proper job guarantees." he explained.

The 2026 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN) which was held last week is an example of how politics is increasingly cut off from social reality.

The public criticized the RAPBN because it contained cuts in public services, while military and police spending remained high. Not only that, the increase in allowances for DPR members also made the public even more furious.

"So if they are celebrated with dancing, it's as if they are celebrating (an increase), not answering the needs of the community. So they are interesting on the carcass of the community, it's called," said Hikmat.

Meanwhile, political observer and director of the Indonesia Political Opinion Dedi Kurnia Syah views that the dancing action carried out by members of the DPR, including Eko Patrio and Uya Kuya, is a dilemma.

On the one hand, it is an event sidelined activity that is not formal, but on the other hand it is quite worrying because the space used is a formal space, and previous activities were also formal, because one of them discussed the RAPBN which concerns the lives of many people.

"So the expression of having fun seems in contrast to the performance and condition of the citizens they represent," said Dedi to VOI.

Dedi assessed that the action in the future has the potential to make political parties lose public sympathy. Moreover, netizens are always quick to find anyone who appears to be dancing. For this reason, he encouraged the general chairmen of political parties to emphasize the ethics culture of all their cadres.

"So that the attitude that seems to be opposite the situation of community difficulties doesn't happen again," explained Dedi.

"Moreover, what the politicians show can change the electoral map of political parties, potential political parties lose public sympathy, so it is necessary for political parties to strongly reprimand," he said.