Prabowo: We Are Called Lazy and Fond of Sleeping

President Prabowo Subianto has claimed that certain parties look down on Indonesia by attaching labels of laziness and a fondness for sleeping to its people. The Head of State asserted that this perception does not correspond to reality.

According to Prabowo, the Indonesian people in fact work hard every day to meet their needs. He made the remarks while speaking at the virtual groundbreaking ceremony for the Abadi Masela field project from the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta today.

“There are indeed parties who always look down on the Indonesian nation, who always belittle the Indonesian nation, who always mock the Indonesian nation behind our backs,” said Prabowo on Thursday, 16 July 2026.

The Chairman of the Gerindra Party said that the kindness and friendliness of the Indonesian people are often misinterpreted by others as weakness.

Furthermore, Prabowo said Indonesia frequently receives negative stereotypes, when in reality the situation shows the opposite. “We are called an easy-going nation, we are called a lazy nation, that the Indonesian people, the natives, are fond of sleeping,” he said.

He added, “Yet our people struggle hard day after day to earn a decent living.”

The former Defence Minister from the era of President Joko Widodo cited people who risk their lives to earn a living, such as fishermen going out to sea. “Those who sail the seas to find food, to catch fish, are risking their lives. Everywhere, our people work hard,” said Prabowo.

For Prabowo, the people’s habit of avoiding the scorching sun is not a form of laziness. “But when the climate is that hot, the wisdom of our ancestors teaches us to avoid the heat when the sun is at its peak,” he said.

Furthermore, Prabowo noted that many parties fail to see that Indonesians rise early to begin their activities. “Some go to the rice fields, some to the plantations, some fetch water, gather firewood, some hunt. Some go out to sea in darkness and return in darkness too,” said Prabowo.