Prabowo: The Tragic Killing of Marsinah Should Not Have Happened

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Prabowo Subianto stated that the tragedy of the murder of labour activist Marsinah should not have happened if the fundamental values of the nation, namely Pancasila, were truly understood and implemented.

This was conveyed by Prabowo when delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Marsinah Museum and Shelter in Nganjuk Regency, East Java, Saturday (16/5/2026).

“In fact, the event of Marsinah being cruelly murdered for fighting for factory workers should not have happened at all because our country was founded on the basic philosophy of Pancasila,” said Prabowo, quoted from the Setpres YouTube broadcast, Saturday.

“The rich must help the poor, the strong must help the weak. Family spirit,” he explained.

However, he expressed his gratitude that such tragedies are part of the past that must be fixed together.

He considered Marsinah’s struggle to be a symbol of the struggle of marginalized people who do not have power.

“This struggle is a symbol of the struggle of all those who are on the weak side, poor people, people who do not have power, people who do not have strength,” said the Head of State.

He admitted that he immediately asked labour organizations to propose the names of candidates who were agreed upon together.

“And they came back to me, all labour organizations agreed that Mrs. Marsinah was a national hero,” he said.

“And I had the honour of making her a national hero,” he continued.

He said he felt honoured to be able to designate Marsinah as a national hero as well as inaugurate the Marsinah Museum in Nganjuk.

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