Prabowo Asks Pindad to Design Special Presidential Car for Public Interaction
President Prabowo Subianto has asked PT Pindad to create a design for a presidential car that would facilitate easier interaction with the public.
This was conveyed by Prabowo during a speech at the launch of 1,061 branches of the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperative in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on Saturday (16/5).
Prabowo began his request by recounting how enthusiastic people are to shake hands during presidential visits to various regions, including when President Prabowo visited Nganjuk and Tuban regencies, East Java.
“The people come out in such large numbers; it would be strange for the President to remain inside the vehicle. I have to stand up. Right? I really do have to stand up. The people want to shake hands, so we must reciprocate. So, I try to shake their hands. But oh my, the people of East Java have such strong grips. It turns out that East Java has many farmers; the mothers also have strong grips. After two or three visits, I need special lotion,” said President Prabowo in front of regional heads and state officials at the launch of the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperative (KDKMP) in Nganjuk.
“But that is the risk, I say to them. They wait for hours under the sun. So, I’m thinking about asking Pindad, where is Professor Sigit? Is he here? Let’s design a special car for the President with glass and a seat, but it should look like I am standing,” said the President to Pindad.
This request was then met with laughter from several regional heads and cooperative officials.
“Sure. Well, I’m already 75 years old. But please understand, the people have been waiting for so long. This is painful,” joked the President while showing his palm.
During his visit to Nganjuk today, President Prabowo used the Maung Garuda presidential car, which was specially designed for the President of Indonesia by the domestic defence industry, PT Pindad.
The “Professor Sigit” mentioned by the President during his speech at the KDKMP launch refers to Sigit Puji Santosa, the designer of the Maung Garuda, who currently serves as Director of PT Pindad and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Danantara.
The domestically produced Maung Garuda presidential car has been used by President Prabowo since his first day in office on October 20, 2024.
The Maung Garuda presidential car was not only used by President Prabowo domestically. During the 48th ASEAN Summit some time ago, the Maung Garuda was brought to the event location in Cebu, Philippines, to be the official vehicle for President Prabowo during his several-day attendance at the summit.