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Symptoms of the Superhero Syndrome in Prabowo’s Hegemony
Disclaimer: This text was translated by ChatGPT
Over the course of more than 100 days of his leadership, Prabowo and his ministers have undertaken various new maneuvers. Through these maneuvers, the government actually harbors a hidden agenda: to create issues that resonate with public interest, and then to observe the reactions in order to decide on the next steps.
For instance, the Value Added Tax, which was originally set at 11%, was raised to 12%. Initially, the VAT increase was planned to be applied to consumer goods such as food, beverages, clothing, and electronics. That increase triggered protests in many regions.
However, the government implemented the increase on February 1st, and it ended up applying only to luxury goods. As if emerging as a hero who had saved his nation, the announcement canceling the 12% VAT hike was broadcast via a post on Sri Mulyani’s personal Instagram account from the Ministry of Finance.
Another maneuver involved the controversy over the 3 kg LPG, led by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia. In early February, the government banned the sale of subsidized 3 kg LPG at retailers. As a result, the public was forced to join long queues to obtain the 3 kg LPG, which was available only…
