Prabowo Still Baffled MBG Programme Considered a Waste of State Funds

President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has admitted he is puzzled by those who criticise the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme as a waste of the state budget.

He made the remarks during a briefing at the Plenary Cabinet Session held at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday afternoon (20 July).

Prabowo said he was bemused by the criticism directed at his good intentions of feeding Indonesian children.

“I am attacked because I want to provide nutritious meals for Indonesian children, to feed Indonesian children, for pregnant mothers, for the elderly, and it is considered wasteful,” Prabowo said.

Prabowo said such criticism was contradictory given the budget leaks that had occurred for three decades without attracting any criticism.

He insisted that the MBG programme was purely aimed at improving the nutrition of all Indonesian children.

“Yet thousands of trillions that vanished, that left Indonesian soil every year for 34 years — no comments, no experts protesting, no investigations,” he said.

At the plenary cabinet session, Prabowo and his cabinet members appeared coordinated, all dressed in white shirts.

Prabowo spoke sitting alone in front of his cabinet members, who were seated at long tables arranged before him — at the tables on his right and left, as well as directly in front of him.

Hasan Nasbi, the President’s Special Adviser for Communication, said the Plenary Cabinet Session discussed President Prabowo’s instructions regarding the acceleration of government programmes.

“The invitation was for the plenary session. Most likely for the president’s directives on accelerating development programmes and the president’s flagship programmes,” Hasan said at the venue before the event led by Prabowo began.