Iim Halimatusa'diyah and Norshahril Saat – Indonesian youth are unhappy about the state of their country, even more so when compared to their counterparts in other ASEAN countries. The government should take heed of such discontent

Two recent developments in Indonesia indicate that the country's youth are unhappy with the state of their country, to the extent that some have contemplated leaving the country. Their concerns warrant some examination and action from the incumbent government led by President Prabowo Subianto.

Recently, Indonesian university students held concurrent demonstrations across several cities in Indonesia, calling the movement "Dark Indonesia" (#IndonesiaGelap). Two demonstrations have been held thus far – on 17 and 21 February 2025 – and Indonesian elites expect many more to come. Protesters have criticised Prabowo Subianto's first 100 days as president. The majority were displeased with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1/2025, which trimmed the state budget and has impacted education, health, public services, and poverty alleviation efforts.

However, a parallel digital movement is currently trending among the youth, united by the hashtag #KaburAjaDulu (#JustRunAway). Aligned with the #IndonesiaGelap movement, #KaburAjaDulu is an online public expression of accumulated anger and despair due to the uncertain political and economic situation and unfavourable government policies. The implied message of the movement is that the country's youth should consider emigrating. Although the president is currently enjoying high approval ratings of 81 per cent overall, the support is not equally distributed across all levels of society. Those with tertiary education showed a higher proportion of dissatisfaction compared to those with secondary education or lower. It would be imprudent for the President to simply dismiss these online and offline youth expressions of discontent as the protests might escalate and gain support from other segments of the population. They will form the bulk of Indonesian voters and this is important since Prabowo has declared his intentions to run for a second term.

The state of unhappiness among the country's youth confirms the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Regional Social and Cultural Studies (RSCS) Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute that Indonesian youth tend to be the most pessimistic in Southeast Asia. The survey shows that they are frustrated with the country's unfavourable socio-economic and political conditions. While the president's populist policies to help young children with free meals can potentially make him one of the most popular presidents if executed well, he should quell youth unhappiness early to avoid a repeat of the reformasi movement in 1998 which toppled the authoritarian Suharto New Order regime. A coup or a large-scale protest similar to 1998 might sound far-fetched, but with social media and hashtag culture today – which was non-existent during the New Order – undergraduates can organise mass movements quicker and on a larger scale.

The ISEAS survey covered 3,081 undergraduate students across six Southeast Asian nations. Respondents are 18-24 years old, with 48.1 per cent males and 51.9 per cent females. Indonesia was one of the six countries surveyed, in addition to Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. One of the areas the survey covered was youth satisfaction with the political system and a country's economic outlook. For this, Indonesian youth were the most pessimistic. Indonesian youth exhibited the highest levels of dissatisfaction with their political system compared to their Southeast Asian counterparts. As per Figure 1, 71.5 per cent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction, with only 27.0 per cent stating they were satisfied.

Dissatisfied

Figure 1. Southeast Asian Youth's Satisfaction with Political System (see original document)

By contrast, the ISEAS survey also revealed that 63.9 per cent of Indonesian youth agreed to taxing the rich to help the economically disadvantaged – the highest compared to other Southeast Asian countries. Economic hardship was a critical factor which shaped youth pessimism. The survey indicates that 37.8 per cent of Indonesian youth perceive their national economy to be "bad", and only 2.6 per cent believe it to be "very good" (see Figure 2).

Pessimistic about the economy

Figure 2. Southeast Asian Youth's Perception of Country's National Economy (see original document)

Furthermore, only 62.6 per cent of Indonesian respondents strongly agreed/agreed that the country's economic outlook over the next five years is promising, significantly lower than other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam (88.1 per cent) or Malaysia (84.1 per cent) (See Figure 3).

Least optimistic on economic outlook

Figure 3. Southeast Asian Youth's Optimism on Country's Economic Future (see original document)

The survey also reveals that perceptions of income inequality further exacerbate economic grievances. The survey showed that 67.3 per cent of Indonesian youth viewed their country's income distribution as "very unfair" or "unfair," the highest percentage in the region. By contrast, Vietnamese and Singaporean youth reported significantly lower dissatisfaction rates, at 18.3 per cent and 30.6 per cent, respectively. The perception that wealth and opportunities are disproportionately concentrated among the elite contributes to a growing belief that success is unattainable for ordinary citizens, reinforcing pessimism about both economic and political systems.

Unhappiness about rich-poor gap

Figure 4. Southeast Asian Youth's Perception of Country's Income Inequality (see original document)

The significance of the recent physical protests notwithstanding, the government must not take the #KaburDuluAja youth digital resistance lightly, especially when it is aligned with their growing pessimism as reflected in the survey. Young Indonesians are increasingly vocal about their struggles with unemployment, lack of upward mobility, and the societal pressure to succeed quickly. In 2024, unemployment among youth aged between 15-24 years was the highest contributor to the national unemployment rate, reaching 16.4 per cent. The high youth unemployment rate and difficulties in securing decent work have contributed to a sense of hopelessness, leading some to consider emigrating. Indonesia can ill afford a brain drain as it seeks to become a high-income nation by 2045.

Unfortunately, some lawmakers from the House of Representatives and ministers have dismissed the concerns of the youth as momentary emotional expressions and a form of escapism. They have waved the nationalist card and stressed that the nation's development is the collective responsibility of all citizens, including the country's youth. This argument will not go down well with the youth unless the government shows concrete evidence of better socio-economic and political conditions. While the protest culture is a norm in Indonesia, it also signals the desire of the country's young people to channel their views without going through political representatives and the legislature. The Prabowo administration should listen to youth aspirations if he wants to maintain political legitimacy, run the government effectively, and slow down any slide in approval ratings.

[Iim Halimatusa'diyah is a Visiting Fellow in the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, a Senior Lecturer at Islamic State University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, and a Deputy Director for Research at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta. Norshahril Saat is a Senior Fellow and Coordinator at the Regional Social & Cultural Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.]

Source: https://fulcrum.sg/prabowo-should-take-heed-of-discontent-among-indonesian-youth