UNAIR NEWS – A new policy granting legislators housing allowances worth hundreds of millions of rupiah per year in place of official residences has drawn sharp criticism. The measure, introduced amid widespread economic hardship, has fueled public anger over both its financial impact and perceived injustice.
Responding to the controversy, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) public policy expert Prof. Dr. H. Jusuf Irianto, Drs., M.Com., stressed that public policy must be grounded in justice, ethics, and morality. He argued that public opposition—including from students—is a rational response to a policy seen as self-serving.
Budget efficiency
“At a time of fiscal restraint, every party should avoid pursuing excessive or self-interested benefits. Granting legislators multimillion-rupiah housing allowances risks deepening public frustration. It feels as though the government is adding to people’s suffering,” Prof. Irianto said.
He highlighted the importance of virtue in policymaking, warning that expanding perks for legislators appears tone-deaf given the public’s already poor perception of their performance.
“Good public policy should deliver added value by improving the welfare of society as a whole, not just select groups or individuals,” he added.
Social justice
From a social justice perspective, Prof. Irianto argued that lavish housing allowances contradict the principle of equality. He said such benefits must be reexamined to ensure they do not inflame public resentment in a time of economic strain.
“Social justice means providing resources and support that ensure equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and basic needs. That is why facilities for legislators must be reviewed for both fairness and necessity,” he explained.
International comparisons
Prof. Irianto noted that legislative benefits are common worldwide, but they are typically scaled to a country’s financial capacity and fairness standards.
“In developed countries such as the United States and Australia, lawmakers do receive salaries, travel allowances, and office or staff support. But those packages are set normatively, with fairness and fiscal prudence in mind. By contrast, this housing allowance is difficult to justify, especially when it undermines the President’s call for budget efficiency,” he said.
As a way forward, Prof. Irianto called for transparency and accountability in policymaking. He urged lawmakers to show greater sensitivity to public hardship, from declining purchasing power to mass layoffs and mounting online loan debt.
Author: Rosali Elvira Nurdiansyarani
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
