Hashim Reveals Prabowo's Concern Behind Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Forum Masyarakat Indonesia Emas (Formas), has revealed the reason President Prabowo Subianto initiated the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. According to Hashim, the programme was born from Prabowo’s concern upon seeing that many people have not yet enjoyed prosperity. Hashim stated that the aspiration to improve the nation’s welfare while safeguarding Indonesia’s continuity has become an important part of the spirit of Prabowo’s administration. “That is also embedded in Prabowo’s soul so that the people prosper and Indonesia endures. He is saddened to see that some are not yet prosperous. The MBG programme was born from concern so that the people are healthy,” said Hashim, as quoted on Sunday, 9 August 2026. According to Hashim, this spirit aligns with the founders’ ideals of creating prosperity for all people while maintaining Indonesia’s continuity. Hashim’s statement was made amid the growing strength of civil society groups declaring support for the Prabowo-Gibran administration. One such group is the Indonesian Red and White Entrepreneurs Movement (Gapempi), which has now joined Formas. Gapempi, under the leadership of Minarni Panggabean, was inaugurated as a Formas member alongside 19 other organisations. With this addition, Gapempi becomes the 93rd member out of a total of 103 Formas members to date. Minarni said Gapempi’s joining is not merely about increasing the number of organisations within Formas. According to her, the move is an effort to unite the strength of various elements of society to support the national development agenda. “Our main goal in joining Formas is to unite steps and energy with other elements of society so that the government’s grand vision of a Golden Indonesia 2045 is not just a dream, but something we can achieve through real, collective work,” Minarni said. She believes the business world needs a stronger space for collaboration with the government and community organisations to face various national challenges. “Through synergy within Formas, we want to build a solid bridge of collaboration between business actors, the government, and various community organisations to strengthen national economic resilience,” she added. Gapempi also aims to expand cross-sector networks so that entrepreneurs can take part in various government development programmes.