The series of demonstrations against the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, which began on Monday (25 August 2025) and escalated on Thursday (28 August), has not only drawn concern domestically but also captured international attention.
With protesters injured, arrested, and even losing their lives, the unrest has sparked a wave of solidarity across ASEAN and beyond.
Much of this support has been directed towards Indonesia’s online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers, who continue to work despite the chaos. According to Liputan6.com, the catalyst for this movement was the social media account X @sighyam.
Guys I just found out that you can support indonesian grab riders who are still out on the streets because grab allows you to make deliveries in other SE Asian countries?? OKAYYYY
— yammi (@sighyam) August 30, 2025
On Saturday (30 August), the account holder who introduced himself only as Yammi and referred to himself as “PR ASEAN” shared a post encouraging people to order food for drivers.
“Guys, I just found out that we can support Grab drivers in Indonesia who are still working on the streets, because Grab allows us to make deliveries in other Southeast Asian countries,” Yammi wrote. He added a reminder: “Choose food and drinks that are easy to share. Before pressing the order button, you need to give this instruction: ‘Please share the food with the drivers on the road.’”
Yammi further suggested that netizens consider making medical donations. His post quickly went viral, viewed more than 22 million times by Monday (1 September), with over a thousand comments and 108,000 likes.
Messages of Support Across Borders
Responses soon poured in from neighbouring countries. “Thank you, Yammi. I ordered from a driver in Bandung. I hope this can help them a little. ASEAN UNITE,” wrote X account owner @NoobyPola from Thailand on Monday (1 September).
From Malaysia, @farissazhan added: “At least this is what I can do to help my friends in Indonesia,” sharing a screenshot as proof of his order. Another Malaysian user, @smin_nr, expressed similar sentiments: “I’ve reached my limit in helping, but from the bottom of my heart, I still hope this can ease your burden a little. Eat well and stay strong, my friends in Indonesia. Sending love from Malaysia.” She also uploaded evidence of ordering a large amount of food for distribution.
A Filipino user, @hyaselyse, noted: “Ordered food and drinks for Pontianak after hearing that there would be a demonstration there. Thank you, Yammi.”
Support, however, was not limited to ASEAN. Yammi later acknowledged that donations and food orders had also come from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and even Brazil.
The solidarity action arose in the aftermath of the death of 21-year-old driver Affan Kurniawan, who was struck by a Brimob tactical vehicle on Thursday (28 August) while delivering food near the DPR/MPR RI Building in Jakarta. Affan was not participating in the demonstration.
As the protests spread to Makassar, Bandung, and Surabaya, reports emerged of property damage, including the burning of public facilities and, in Makassar, the local Regional Representative Council building.
Despite such unrest, the gestures of solidarity carried a unifying message. Malaysians, who often find themselves in cultural disputes with Indonesians, took part enthusiastically. “Eat well and stay strong, my Indonesian friends, sending love from Malaysia,” one user wrote. Another urged: “jom support rakan2 Indonesia.”
In return, Indonesian netizens responded warmly, some with humour. “Malaysia, be patient, you can claim rendang and batik, and we’ll claim Upin Ipin,” quipped the account @NT2323.
Other Indonesians expressed gratitude more directly. “Crying reading the replies, thank you for being a good person,” wrote @natachena, while @narasumbera added: “Thank you so much for your support, I’m deeply moved to see others’ concern for Indonesia.”
The drivers themselves also responded with heartfelt messages. One driver wrote: “Thank you, sir, may you be blessed with good health, long life, and prosperity.”
What began as an initiative from one social media user quickly turned into a cross-border act of kindness. As demonstrations in Indonesia continue, the solidarity shown through these small but significant gestures stands as a reminder that communities can come together in unexpected ways, even across national boundaries.
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