Prabowo Again Slams Experts Deemed Unpatriotic Over Rice Import Policies

President Prabowo Subianto has once again taken aim at experts he considers unpatriotic with regard to the nation’s interests. He made the remarks in the context of experts who allegedly support rice import policies, thereby harming Indonesian farmers. “Many clever experts, who to this day still consider themselves clever, say why should we defend Indonesian farmers,” Prabowo said in his speech at the peak of the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen Week in Gorontalo on Wednesday (24/6). Prabowo then recounted an experience from when he served as Chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI). At that time, he met with the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Aburizal Bakrie, to convey his rejection of the government’s rice import plan. He argued that rice imports would only harm Indonesian farmers, especially when they were about to harvest. “Especially importing rice when farmers are about to harvest, it destroys prices for farmers. Our farmers cannot make a profit, they cannot recover their capital,” he said. Prabowo said his aspirations were subsequently rejected by one of Aburizal Bakrie’s advisors at the time, who instead pushed for the rice import policy. “This is the advisor’s statement, not Mr Aburizal Bakrie’s. He said if Indonesian farmers are not efficient, it is better to buy rice from Vietnam. That is the view of those clever people. I was shocked, I was shocked and saddened. I said in my heart, this is a huge mistake,” he stated.