Dudung Abdurachman Denies Rumour of Owning Free Nutritious Meal Kitchen

Jakarta - Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman has denied rumours claiming he owns a Nutritional Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) under the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme. He even challenged those spreading the rumour to prove their claim and offered a reward if anyone found him owning an MBG kitchen. “I inform and affirm, I do not own a kitchen for the programme at all. If anyone finds that Mr Dudung has a kitchen, please check directly; I will give you a reward later,” said Dudung at a press conference at the KSP Office, Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday. Dudung then explained that he had only received feedback from a number of pesantren administrators, namely Abah Junaidi and Ustaz Iskandar, around six to seven months ago, expressing their hope that students at the Islamic boarding school could also receive the free nutritious meal programme. He recounted that the student population in that pesantren environment reached approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people. Therefore, the pesantren administrators believed an MBG kitchen was feasible to be built within the pesantren grounds. After receiving this feedback, Dudung introduced the pesantren administrators to the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), who at the time was Dadan Hindayana. Dudung then stressed that after the initial communication meeting between the pesantren administrators and Dadan, he no longer intervened in the subsequent process. Nevertheless, Dudung mentioned that a few weeks ago, he had asked Dadan about the progress. However, the response was that the administrative arrangements were not yet complete, meaning there has been no physical construction of an MBG kitchen at the pesantren to this day. “Just because I asked Mr Dadan to facilitate that pesantren, an issue emerged making it seem as though Mr Dudung owns the kitchen. Once again, I affirm, in reality, the kitchen has not even been built, and I am not involved in it at all,” said Dudung. It is known that President Prabowo Subianto removed Dadan Hindayana from his position as Head of BGN after he was named a suspect in an alleged procurement corruption case related to the MBG programme. The President then appointed Nanik S. Deyang, previously Deputy Head of BGN, as Head of BGN. President Prabowo also dismissed two deputy heads of BGN, Lodewyk Pusung and Sony Sanjaya, from their positions and subsequently appointed Agustina Arumsari and TNI Major General Trenggono as the new deputy heads of BGN.