Said Iqbal says workers need lobbyists inside the palace. Critics say organised labour’s best weapon is its independence
3-MIN READ3-MINJohannes NugrohoPublished: 5:00pm, 10 Jun 2026Prabowo Subianto has brought one of Indonesia’s most prominent labour leaders into his administration, giving organised labour a voice inside the presidential palace while also fuelling concerns that the country’s unions are being pulled away from street-level activism.Said Iqbal, former president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), defended his appointment as special adviser on labour affairs in an exclusive interview with This Week in Asia, arguing that workers needed direct access to policymakers rather than relying solely on outside pressure.
“Industrialists have always had their lobbyists working from within the government. It’s now the workers’ turn to have theirs so that their voice can be heard loud and clear,” he said.
He is the second senior labour figure to serve in the current administration. In a cabinet reshuffle last month, Prabowo named Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, former chairman of the Confederation of All Indonesian Workers’ Unions (KSPSI), as Minister of the Environment and Forestry.
