Becoming a "news junkie", Prabowo monitors global issues until the early hours

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto has disclosed his habit of intensively monitoring developments in issues and news, even until the early hours. In a discussion with several experts and senior journalists in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, the video recording of which aired on Thursday (19/3), Prabowo described himself as part of the “news junkies” who continuously follow the flow of global information. “This is it, we are news junkies. We’ve been hooked,” said Prabowo. The statement was made in response to a question from political analyst Rizal Mallarangeng about how a leader maintains balance amid the fast-paced and pressure-filled global dynamics, including in terms of rest. Prabowo emphasised that he still considers sleep important, although he has a flexible rest pattern. Prabowo admitted that he can sleep anywhere and anytime. “So perhaps this knowledge I gained in the military. For me, for example, when riding in a car I can sleep, in a helicopter I can sleep, in an aeroplane I can sleep,” he revealed. He also admitted to utilising short intervals between activities to rest. Prabowo gave an example that when attending two or three meetings, he always takes 10-30 minutes between activities to take a brief break. On the other hand, his habit as a “news junkie” means Prabowo often wakes up in the early hours to follow global developments via digital platforms. “So sometimes I sleep at one in the morning, but at three in the morning I wake up again. Why? This is the problem, technology. There’s YouTube. We’re four hours behind the Middle East, then several hours from America. So I have to follow what happens. And that’s probably what keeps me always a bit up to date,” he explained. According to Prabowo, this habit is important so that he can respond quickly to various global developments that impact Indonesia.