Prabowo Jests About the Rising Dollar: 'It's Titiek Who's Worried'

Initially, Prabowo stated that the Indonesian nation is not a weak nation as long as all the nation’s strengths work together. He believes that village cooperatives (Kopdes) will become a source of pride for the Indonesian nation.

“I would like to thank the Coordinating Minister for Food, all these ministers are one team, because it cannot be done without a team. If the Minister of Home Affairs does not support it, it will not work, if the regents and village heads do not support it, it will not work. The TNI does not support it, it will not work, the police chief does not support it, it will not work, this is teamwork. Some ministers are in charge of legality,” Prabowo said in his speech on Saturday (16/5/2026).

Prabowo believes that the Indonesian nation will become a strong nation thanks to the teamwork of the president’s assistants under the Red and White Cabinet. Prabowo then greeted the Minister of Finance, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who manages the country’s finances.

“There are those who manage finances, yes, Purbaya is very popular now, Purbaya. As long as Purbaya can smile calmly, there is no need to worry,” he said.

He then alluded to the rising exchange rate of the dollar against the rupiah. However, according to him, this does not affect people in rural areas, except for entrepreneurs.

“No matter how many thousands of dollars it is, you in the village don’t use dollars, it’s those who like to go abroad who are worried, who is this? It’s Mbak Titiek who’s worried,” he said jokingly.

Prabowo then called out a number of ministers who are also entrepreneurs, starting from the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming of Indonesia Rosan Roeslani, to the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) Anindya Bakrie.

“Who else is a minister but also an entrepreneur, let’s see. Trenggono, ah Trenggono. Are you not going abroad anymore? Oh, you’re going to the islands, okay…okay,” he said.

“Rosan, but he’s already bald, just sit down. Anin, Anin, you’re worried, you’re an entrepreneur, KADIN,” he continued, which was greeted with laughter from the audience.

Even though the exchange rate of the dollar against the rupiah has increased, Prabowo believes that the Indonesian economy is strong. Therefore, he asked all elements to unite in building the strength of Indonesia’s economic sovereignty.

“Believe that our economy is strong, our fundamentals are strong, whatever people say, Indonesia is strong. Believe in our strength, believe in our people, all leaders must work for the people, regardless of their party, there are patriots in all parties, and there are also those who are bad,” he said.

He also invited all parties to unite in building the nation and to remind and correct each other.

“I, as the General Chairman of Gerindra, am also tired. Gerindra just won and it’s like this, I’m tired. It doesn’t matter, take action, enforce the law, right? There are no former TNI personnel who are great, not necessarily, former police officers, everyone must reflect on themselves, take care of themselves, remind each other, remind each other,” he concluded.