Prabowo Vows No Selective Prosecution in Corruption Eradication, Likens It to Treating Cancer

President Prabowo Subianto has affirmed that the government will not be selective in cracking down on various forms of misconduct. According to him, corrupt practices and irregularities must be eradicated decisively.

Prabowo made the remarks whilst giving directives at a Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday (20 July 2026). He acknowledged that the government’s major programmes were not free from shortcomings and irregularities, one of them being the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme.

“Friends, I think this is highly strategic. Of course, a great endeavour like this will certainly have many shortcomings. The same goes for MBG — there are shortcomings, there is misconduct, there are irregularities, but we act immediately, we fix things immediately, right?” Prabowo said.

Prabowo admitted he was troubled that there were still individuals exploiting government programmes to enrich themselves. Nevertheless, he affirmed that legal action would still be taken.

“We are saddened that there are individuals, certain persons who seek wealth from a job or an undertaking of such magnitude, but what can we do. If it is indeed a disease, we must face it — with sadness, we shall act against it,” he said.

Prabowo assured that the government would continue to eradicate misconduct without discriminating among the perpetrators. He likened the handling of corruption to treating cancer.

“And we will continue to act. Once again, I have said many times that we will show no favouritism. We will not be selective. We will not fail to act against misconduct. Of course, we sometimes need wisdom — the timing, when, where, and how,” he said.

“Because we want to make Indonesia’s body healthy. If someone, for instance, has cancer, there is a shortcut — just cut off the arm, cut off the leg, isn’t that so? But perhaps with precision, with therapy, with technology, we can do so without excessively damaging the body. Similarly, I have learned that a nation’s economy is like our own body,” he continued.

According to Prabowo, the national economy resembles the human body, whose health must be maintained. For that reason, corrupt practices and various forms of economic manipulation must be eradicated so as not to damage the foundations of the national economy.

“If we look after our body well, the economy… our body will be healthy. It is the same. The economic body, if well maintained, will be healthy. But if it is poisoned with mark-ups, with corruption, with fraud, with under-invoicing, with transfer pricing, with shady dealing, with games played between bureaucrats and businessmen, between banks that extend credit only to their cronies, then it becomes damaged, it becomes sick. And this is what we are currently fixing,” he said.