Prabowo Highlights Leadership Approach with TNI Commander and National Police Chief
President Prabowo Subianto has explained how he manages his subordinates in the government, including the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto and the Chief of the National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo. Prabowo referred to this leadership style aimed at improving the performance of his subordinates as the ‘commander’s science.’
The Head of State made these remarks while delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Ibu Marsinah Museum and Rest House in Nganjuk, East Java. Prabowo initially expressed appreciation for the ranks of the TNI and Polri for their support of various government priority projects.
“I would like to thank the TNI Commander, as well as the TNI personnel who assisted. I also thank the Polri. The police have provided extraordinary support for this process,” said Prabowo on Saturday, May 16, 2026, as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.
Prabowo mentioned that state officials were involved in various government programs such as corn management, food warehouses, and free nutritious meals (MBG). “Then there are hundreds of MBG kitchens. Perhaps the best thing is that the police are now the cleanest,” said Prabowo.
After that, the former Minister of Defense during the Joko Widodo era explained that the praise given to the TNI-Polri was part of his leadership strategy. “Indeed, a leader’s skill is to make two subordinates compete with each other,” he said.
Prabowo admitted that he deliberately praised the Indonesian Police when meeting with the TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto. Similarly, he also praised the Indonesian military in front of the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit. “So, when there is a TNI Commander, I praise the police. And when there is a National Police Chief, I praise the TNI,” said the General Chairman of the Gerindra Party.
For Prabowo, this approach encourages both institutions to work well. He added that a similar strategy is also applied to ministers in the Red and White Cabinet.
“So they come out of my room thinking, ‘wow.’ That’s the commander’s science,” said Prabowo while showing an enthusiastic gesture.
On the same occasion, Prabowo asked all state officials and institutions to be brave enough to make improvements. “The Prosecutor’s Office, the police, the military must correct themselves, they must eliminate irregularities and corruption from within their respective bodies,” said Prabowo.
He said that officials should not become supporters of illegal actions. “Don’t let it be the case that officials are behind irregularities, supporting smuggling, drugs, gambling, and other illegal activities,” he said.
Prabowo said that all personnel from the highest to the lowest rank must be ready to die for the people. He said they should not oppress the community. “Be soldiers of the people, be police officers of the people who are loved by the people,” said the retired general of the Indonesian National Army.