Kuala Lampur, Sept. 1 -- Over the Merdeka weekend, as Malaysians celebrated the 68th anniversary of independence with parades and fireworks, a disturbing scene was unfolding in neighbouring Indonesia. Streets in Jakarta and other major cities were filled with angry demonstrators. What began as public protests against the rising cost of living and unemployment soon spiralled into nationwide unrest.

The Indonesian situation

The spark came when news broke that parliament had approved a massive housing allowance for its members - ten times the minimum wage - at a time when ordinary Indonesians were struggling to make ends meet. The outrage intensified after a parliamentarian mocked the protesters as "fools". When a food delivery rider was t...