Jambi (ANTARA News) - Several hundreds of Jambi`s university students staged a peaceful rally on Thursday to demand the government`s serious efforts to stabilize Indonesia`s economy amid weakening exchange rate of rupiah against the US dollar.

The Jambi Students` Alliance (AMJ) activists, coming from the city`s state and privately owned universities, also demanded the government to finish a legal reform and resolve the foreign worker-related matters.

During the rally, staged in front of the Bank Indonesia office on an intersection of Telanaipura here, several student activists, representing different universities in the city, repeatedly delivered their orations.

After delivering their orations, they continued marching to Jambi Province`s legislative body, which is around 300 meters away from Jambi governor`s office, to echo their aspirations.

As of 03.00 p.m. local time, the demonstrating students still gathered in front of the parliamentary building under the security of the local police.

After negotiating with the police, several representatives of the demonstrators were allowed to submit their petition to the legislators.

The world`s economy has been slowing down amid the threats of the United States of America and China`s trade war. The US dollar`s exchange rates against many foreign currencies, including Indonesia`s rupiah and the Philippines` peso, tend to get stronger.

The falling value of rupiah has continuously been responded by Bank Indonesia (central bank) and the central government amid public concern that the people`s purchasing power can get weakened and companies can lay off their workers.

In the face of the falling value of the rupiah, the government must focus on resolving the problem.

Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, a politician with a business background, remarked that it is the time for the government and the business world to sit together to address the rupiah depreciation that burdens the community.

"I am worried that the increase in prices and production costs of companies will lead to layoffs," the running mate of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto explained.

Uno even noted that is not the time to mix politics with economics issues. He noted that the Indonesian peoples should not spend more time dealing with politics.

"We should not mix economics with politics. Just focus on the economy first, that is what we hope for," Uno remarked.

Reporting by Dodi Saputra
Editing by Rahmad Nasution

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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