Prabowo Says He Gets Information Faster from Village Children on TikTok

President Prabowo Subianto has spoken of being moved by direct messages from village children via the social media platform TikTok. He said the rapid flow of information in the digital era means that the voice of the people, including those in remote areas, can now reach the President directly.

“The Indonesian people now have access to information at a level that has never existed before. Everyone has a device and information spreads very quickly,” Prabowo said at the Business Summit at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC on Wednesday (18 February 2026) local time.

He noted that the ease of access to information brings both benefits and pressure. Prabowo cited messages he saw from village children via TikTok complaining about infrastructure conditions in their areas, which he said created pressure to act swiftly.

“I feel the benefits, but sometimes also the pressure, when many village children speak directly to me through TikTok or send direct messages to the President. ‘Mr President, we don’t have a bridge over our river, we have to get soaking wet every day to go to school.’ This reaches me directly, so I have to react quickly so that they feel the central government and their President are listening and taking action,” he said.

Prabowo also recounted another moment that moved him — receiving a message from a headteacher in an isolated area of Papua. He said the school had received a digital platform for the first time as part of the education digitalisation programme.

“It was very touching when I received a message from a headteacher in an isolated area of Papua. They received a digital platform for the first time. I am providing interactive smart screens in every classroom in every school in Indonesia. By the end of December 2025, we had delivered more than 288,000 screens,” he said.

He explained that the government has provided interactive smart screens in every school classroom across Indonesia. By the end of December 2025, more than 288,000 screens had been distributed.

“That covers almost all schools in Indonesia. This year I intend to add three more screens for each school. My target is that by the end of my term, all classrooms throughout Indonesia will have these interactive screens, where the entire school syllabus is stored in the software and can be accessed at any time,” he continued.

Through the programme, the government is also promoting distance learning so that schools on remote islands and in mountainous areas can still access quality education.

“We can also conduct distance learning, so that every school, wherever they are, whether on a remote island or an isolated mountain, will have access to the best knowledge and education. Where there are no teachers, we have a central studio with the nation’s best teachers teaching remotely. This is the digitalisation of Indonesian education and we are very serious about it,” he said.

Prabowo added that through the digital system, the central government can monitor classroom conditions right down to the most remote areas from Jakarta. He said he was impressed by the enthusiasm of students, teachers, and parents towards the technology-based education transformation.

“From Jakarta, I can see any classroom in the remotest parts of Indonesia. I can see whether the teacher is present or not, how the children are feeling. I am very impressed — the children, parents, and teachers are all very enthusiastic,” Prabowo continued.