Prabowo: Those Who Corrupt the Free Nutritious Meals Programme Are Barbaric!

President Prabowo Subianto delivered a speech at the Annual Session of the MPR and the Joint Session of the DPR-DPD in Jakarta on Friday, 14 August 2026, where he strongly condemned corruption within the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. He initially stated that no Indonesian child should have to study while hungry, as a child cannot learn properly on an empty stomach. He noted that the MBG programme was created to address hunger and stunting in several regions of Indonesia, acknowledging that while some may never witness children going without breakfast, it is a reality on the ground. Prabowo revealed that one in four Indonesian children suffers from stunting, a condition that prevents brain cells and bones from developing properly, leaving them potentially incapable of even working as a dock labourer or farmhand. He stressed that Indonesian children must not experience stunting and hunger, and confirmed that the MBG programme will continue to be improved and evaluated. He then denounced those who would embezzle funds meant for feeding children, calling them barbaric and undeserving of respect, and stating that such actions completely lack any humanitarian value.