Prabowo Declares TNI-Polri as 'Children of the People', Must Be Present in Times of Hardship

President Prabowo Subianto has asserted that the TNI and Polri are not merely institutions tasked with maintaining national defence and security, but are an inseparable part of the Indonesian people. Therefore, both institutions must always be present in the community, especially when the people face difficulties. The statement was made by the President while attending the TNI Mass Harvest to Support the Food Security Programme at Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base in Malang Regency, East Java, on Friday 17 July 2026. Opening his remarks, Prabowo noted that the government had previously held a mass corn harvest with the Polri last May. Now, it is the TNI’s turn to demonstrate its contribution through a mass harvest of sugarcane, rice, and soybeans as part of efforts to strengthen national food security. ‘Two months ago, precisely on 16 May 2026, we witnessed a mass corn harvest with the Polri. Today we are witnessing the TNI Mass Harvest. There is sugarcane, soybeans, and rice,’ said Prabowo. According to him, the involvement of the TNI and Polri in the food sector is proof that their role extends far beyond security functions. Prabowo stressed that the TNI and Polri are part of the people and have a direct responsibility to help improve public welfare. ‘This shows that the TNI and Polri are not only guardians of the country’s defence and security, but the TNI and Polri are an inseparable part of the Indonesian people. The TNI and Polri are the children of the people,’ he asserted. Prabowo emphasised that the TNI and Polri must always be in the midst of the community and make the people’s problems a shared responsibility. ‘The TNI and Polri must always be with the people, in the midst of the people. The people’s difficulties are the TNI and Polri’s difficulties,’ he said. Furthermore, the President invited all components of the nation to work together to solve the problems still faced by the community. According to him, as long as there are people living in hardship, all elements of the state are obliged to unite and take real action to overcome these difficulties.