Prabowo Jokes Many Officials Hospitalised Due to Overwork, Offers Health Tips
President Prabowo Subianto has remarked that a number of his subordinates have fallen ill and required hospital treatment due to working excessively hard. He even jokingly offered to share his special knowledge on maintaining health.
The quip was made by Prabowo during a simultaneous harvest inauguration event with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) at Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base in Malang Regency, East Java, on Friday (17/7/2026). Prabowo initially expressed his appreciation for the performance of ministers in the Red and White Cabinet.
“I am proud today and in recent weeks I have seen the hard work of all elements, ministers, the Commander of the Armed Forces, the Chief of Police, all elements working swiftly. Without rest. Frankly, many high-ranking state officials, ministers, and agency heads have collapsed and been admitted to hospital due to overwork,” Prabowo said at the start of his speech.
He stated that this was done because the government is pursuing targets for the people’s welfare. Prabowo touched on Indonesia being a large and wealthy country.
“We are pursuing targets, we realise that the people have, for too long, experienced a life that is not befitting of a large and wealthy country like ours,” he said.
During his speech, Prabowo then elaborated on the achievements made by Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman. He also asked Amran not to end up in hospital from working too hard.
“The Minister of Agriculture reported to me that our current programme is 100,000 hectares per year and thus it will be achieved in four years. But after I asked him again, he boldly and gallantly said, ‘Sir, we can do it in two years’. I said, ‘Good’,” he stated.
“But don’t end up in hospital, Minister of Agriculture. Promise? Two years, but you must not be hospitalised. The nation and state still need you,” he added, to a chorus of laughter.
He then reminded all government officials and generals not to fall ill. He jokingly offered to share his knowledge on how to stay healthy and avoid hospitalisation.
“Yes, ministers, generals, don’t collapse. If you want the knowledge, I will give you the knowledge later,” he said.
“Soldiers are good at finding time to rest, right? During ceremonies, they can even sleep, ah that. These are graduates of the Military Academy, the Police Academy, they all have that knowledge. Sleeping in class. But not anymore, that was the old days. In your era, you don’t sleep in class, right? Huh? No, right? Because nutrition is better now,” he added.