Lintas 98 Sumut: Prabowo's Leadership Begins to Steer Towards Equitable Welfare

A group of activists from Lintas 98 Sumatera Utara and the 98 Resolution Network have declared their support for the strategic programmes of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. The support was conveyed through a political statement titled ‘From Freedom of Speech to Equitable Welfare with the Prabowo-Gibran Administration’ in Medan on Friday, 26 June 2026. The statement emerged amidst heightened national political dynamics marked by criticism from various community and student groups towards government policies. However, Lintas 98 Sumut assessed that the current administration is beginning to realise some of the ideals of the 1998 Reform movement, particularly in efforts to eradicate corruption, improve natural resource management, and achieve equitable welfare. Turman Simanjuntak, spokesperson for the 98 Resolution Network, stated that the group did not wish to be trapped in political polarisation but rather to convey their views based on observed developments. ‘We are trying to respond to the recent political dynamics. We are not entering the debate, but we want to convey that many of the ideals of the 1998 Reform are actually starting to be implemented under President Prabowo’s administration,’ he said. Despite expressing support, Turman emphasised that the reform activists would continue to exercise their oversight function. ‘We will monitor the government’s course to ensure it runs well. On the other hand, we will also continue to provide criticism and input for the improvement of governance,’ he asserted. Meanwhile, activity coordinator Edison Marbun called on all 1998 Reform activists to evaluate the journey of reform over nearly three decades. He argued that political democracy has not yet fully progressed in tandem with economic democratisation. Consequently, public welfare remains uneven despite the opening up of political freedoms. ‘After 28 years of reform, there are still shortcomings. If political democracy does not run simultaneously with economic democratisation, what occurs is merely a pseudo-democracy. Especially when natural resources are controlled by a handful of groups, political democracy loses its meaning for the people’s welfare,’ he said. Edison stressed the need for Indonesia to strengthen the concept of ‘socio-democracy’, a democracy that not only guarantees political freedoms but also ensures equitable access to economic resources for all citizens.