Indonesian lawmakers to stop receiving housing allowance in November

JAKARTA - Under pressure from the public, the House of Representatives has clarified that lawmakers will only receive the controversial 50 million rupiah (S$3,940) monthly housing allowance until October, but critics have called for transparency over the policy, insisting that it is still a waste of public money.

Public anger has grown after reports revealed that all 580 lawmakers have been receiving a 50 million rupiah housing allowance per month since October 2024, roughly 10 times Jakarta’s minimum wage and 20 times the minimum in poorer regions. That perk comes on top of base salary and other benefits, which together can amount to 230 million rupiah per month.