Prabowo: We respect criticism, but it must not damage democracy

President Prabowo Subianto has emphasised that criticism is an important part of democratic life in Indonesia, but must not be misused for certain interests that could potentially damage national unity. According to a statement from the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) RI received in Jakarta on Wednesday, President Prabowo Subianto said democratic development must continue to be strengthened by upholding responsible freedom of expression, and that criticism plays an important role as a reminder and a means of evaluation for the government to continue improving various policies. “We continue to build our democratic life. We respect criticism. Criticism is important. We need criticism to remind us. We need criticism to improve ourselves,” President Prabowo said when delivering a mandate before thousands of National Police personnel at the 80th Bhayangkara Day commemoration at the Brimob Polri Training Unit, Cikeas, Bogor Regency, Wednesday. “But the security of democracy must also be maintained. Do not let democracy be hijacked by those with a lot of money. Do not let our democracy be damaged by foreign interests,” he added. He stressed that differences of opinion must not develop into hatred or division within society. “We are all children of the Indonesian nation. Our democracy must stand on the values of the Indonesian nation. Differences must not become a source of division. We must always prioritise unity and harmony among us,” he said. The National Police is expected to play a role in ensuring the public can express aspirations peacefully, while still maintaining public security and order. At the same time, the President also requested that the law be enforced and order always maintained. Law enforcement is necessary because it is intended to protect the people and provide a sense of security to the community.