False: Prabowo Decides to Extend Free Nutritious Meals Programme to Timor-Leste at Its President’s Request
Jakarta (ANTARA/JACX) – An infographic posted on Threads on Thursday (8 October) claims that President Prabowo Subianto decided to extend the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme to Timor-Leste at the request of its President, José Ramos-Horta.
The image, presented as breaking news, shows Prabowo speaking at a lectern, residents carrying sacks labelled MBG, and a photograph of Ramos-Horta holding a similar sack. It also features a banner reading “MBG Aid – Indonesia-Timor-Leste Cooperation” and an arrow depicting the programme being sent to the country.
The infographic states: “PRESIDENT PRABOWO’S DECISION. President Prabowo has decided that the MBG programme will also be extended to Timor-Leste at the request of President Ramos-Horta as a form of cooperation between countries. FIRM COOPERATION!”
But did President Prabowo decide to extend the MBG programme to Timor-Leste at President Ramos-Horta’s request?
Explanation:
A search found no official information or statement confirming that Prabowo had decided to extend the MBG programme to Timor-Leste at Ramos-Horta’s request.
ANTARA reported that the two heads of state met on Friday (28 August 2026). Prabowo received Ramos-Horta, who was leading a delegation of Nobel laureates, at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta.
In a separate statement after the meeting, Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the two leaders had discussed ways to strengthen cooperation, including potential collaboration between Nobel laureates and Indonesian researchers and academics, ANTARA reported.
National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) head Arif Satria also explained that Prabowo had shared Indonesia’s experience in running the MBG programme, according to the Ministry of State Secretariat.
However, sharing Indonesia’s experience with MBG does not mean the government decided to extend the programme to Timor-Leste.
Reports on the leaders’ meeting did not say that Ramos-Horta had asked for the programme to be implemented in his country or that Prabowo had agreed to provide it.
The claim that President Prabowo decided to extend the MBG programme to Timor-Leste at President Ramos-Horta’s request is therefore unsubstantiated.