Prabowo's Joke to Police Chief: Why Are You Getting Thinner, Stressed?

President Prabowo Subianto joked that the Chief of the Indonesian National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, appeared increasingly thin. Prabowo made this quip while attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of 13 national downstreaming projects in Cilacap, Central Java.

The moment occurred as Prabowo greeted the attending ministers, agency heads, and officials. He initially called out Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartanto, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, and several parliamentary members present—Chairman of Commission VI of the DPR Anggia Ermarini, Chairman of Commission XI Mukhamad Misbakhun, and Chairman of Commission XII Bambang Patijaya.

Prabowo’s banter began when greeting the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono. “Brother Sakti Wahyu Trenggono. Stay strong, yes, don’t faint again. I’ve already stopped calling you on Saturdays and Sundays, I won’t call anymore,” Prabowo said on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, as broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel.

Afterwards, the former Minister of Defence continued by calling the Police Chief General Listyo Sigit. The Head of State commented on General Sigit’s appearance, which he deemed thinner. “Chief of the National Police of the Republic of Indonesia, Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo. You’re getting thinner, aren’t you? Why are you getting thinner? Stressed?” Prabowo asked.

On that occasion, Prabowo launched the groundbreaking for the second phase of 13 downstreaming projects spread across various regions of Indonesia, valued at Rp 116 trillion. The projects include five in the energy sector, five in the mineral sector, and three in the agriculture sector.

“With the utterance of Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, today, Wednesday, 29 April 2026, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, with great pride, launch the groundbreaking for the second phase of downstreaming, encompassing 13 strategic downstreaming projects,” Prabowo stated.

The Gerindra Party Chairman claimed that downstreaming is the path to the resurgence of the Indonesian nation. Prabowo assured that the government would accelerate the number of downstreaming projects. “This year too, we will add more downstreaming, perhaps six more projects, and we will continue to add them. There might be a fourth, fifth, sixth phase, InshaAllah this year as well,” he said.