Prabowo Claims 280% Salary Raise Will Protect Judges from Bribery

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has announced plans to raise judges’ salaries by 280 percent. Speaking in early May 2025, Prabowo said the primary goal of this salary increase is to prevent bribery and uphold judicial integrity.

“So that the judges cannot be bribed and cannot be bought. So that the law can be enforced properly,” Prabowo said during a visit to SDN Cimahpar 5 in Bogor, West Java, on Friday, May 2, 2025, as seen on the President’s Secretariat YouTube channel.

Prabowo had also mentioned this initiative earlier during a meeting with six chief editors at his private residence in Padepokan Garuda Yaksa, Hambalang, Bogor, on Sunday, April 4, 2025.

“Judges need to be made so honorable and so confident that they cannot be bribed. I also instructed that judges should have decent official residences. This is being worked on by the Minister of Housing. If I'm not mistaken, our judges throughout Indonesia number less than 10,000,” Prabowo said, as quoted from Najwa Shihab’s YouTube channel.

The idea of a salary increase had been on Prabowo’s agenda since his election as president. Vice Chairman of the Gerindra Party's Board of Trustees, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, emphasized the need for better pay for judges, noting that Supreme Court judges have gone over a decade without a raise.

“I was told by one of the Supreme Court judges whom I met at Changi last year, the Supreme Court judges have not received a salary raise for 11 years,” Hashim said during an economic forum held at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Tower on Monday, October 7, 2024.

Hashim, the President’s younger brother, added that improving law enforcers’ compensation is a key priority under the new administration’s Asta Cita program.

“Not only for prosecutors and police, but also for judges,” he said.

Judges' Group Welcomes the Plan

President Prabowo reaffirmed his commitment to the pay increase while attending the inauguration of first-level court judges across Indonesia at the Balairung of the Supreme Court in Central Jakarta on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

The Indonesian Judges’ Solidarity welcomed the announcement, viewing it not just as a financial gesture but as a long-overdue constitutional recognition of their rights.

Catur Alfath Satriya, spokesperson for the group, emphasized the broader significance of the move.

“The President's statement is not only a recognition of the strategic role of judges as guardians of justice, but also an affirmation that the state is present to protect the dignity of the judicial institution,” he said in a press release.

Catur added that while the pay raise is a positive step, it should be part of a broader, ongoing reform. He urged the government to pursue comprehensive and sustainable changes, including stronger mentorship and supervision of judges.

Hendrik Yaputra and Oyuk Ivani Siagian also contributed to the writing of this article.

Sri Mulyani: 'More New Agencies Will Be Established Under Prabowo's Administration'

3 jam lalu

Indonesia's Prabowo Set to Meet Putin on June 19

6 jam lalu

Indonesia's Prabowo Visits Singapore for Diplomatic and Economic Talks

19 jam lalu

Is Prabowo Really Considering Police and Military Budget Cuts? Analyst Thinks So

1 hari lalu

Prabowo Takes Over Aceh-North Sumatra Island Dispute, Decision to Be Made Next Week

1 hari lalu

KPK Probes Alleged Corruption in Raja Ampat Nickel Mining

2 hari lalu

KPK Unveils Existence of Ex-Papua Governor Lukas Enembe's Private Jet

2 hari lalu

Prabowo, Trump Talk World Peace in Phone Discussion

3 hari lalu

Indonesia's President Prabowo Receives Call from Donald Trump

3 hari lalu

Indonesia's Prabowo Set for Official Visit to Russia Next Week

3 hari lalu