Prabowo Defends Cabinet Size, Comparing it to Timor-Leste

President Prabowo Subianto has spoken on the importance of stability within the government. He noted that his current governing coalition is large, supported by seven out of the eight parties in the House of Representatives (DPR RI).

Prabowo made these remarks during his closing speech at the 35th Muktamar held at the Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School, Jombang Regency, East Java, on Monday (31/8/2026). He stated that the eight parties present in parliament are already highly efficient in supporting his administration.

“We now have eight parties that are extraordinarily efficient. If we look at Japan, even though there are only two major parties, look at how many times the Prime Minister changes in 5-6 years. In the UK, there might be 7-8 Prime Ministers in 5 years. Therefore, regardless of the circumstances, a government requires stability and tranquility,” said Prabowo.

“Thus, the coalition government that I lead is quite large. Seven out of the eight parties in parliament are included,” he added.

Prabowo then addressed the claims that his administration is a ‘bloated cabinet’. He cited Timor-Leste, which has a much smaller population but maintains 28 ministers in its cabinet.

“The cabinet I have assembled has been called a bloated and inefficient cabinet. Yet, there is the country of Timor-Leste, which has a population far smaller than many provinces in Indonesia,” said Prabowo.

“Their population is only 1.1 million, yet their cabinet consists of 28 members. Timor-Leste’s cabinet has 28,” he continued.