Prabowo's Joke to Pramono on Labour Day: Same Name, Different Parties, No Problem

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A moment of humour coloured the beginning of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s speech at the Labour Day commemoration at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Friday (1/5/2026).

According to Kompas TV footage, Prabowo first greeted the attending officials.

On stage, Prabowo was accompanied by several people, including the President of the Indonesian Confederation of Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal.

He began by greeting the Deputy Minister of Villages and Underdeveloped Regions Development, Ahmad Riza Patria.

While greeting the guests, Prabowo casually mentioned the name Pramono and joked about their shared name.

“Our names are the same, but our parties are different—no problem,” Prabowo said, met with laughter and applause from the audience.

The joke also underscored that differences in political backgrounds do not impede the fight for the people’s interests, particularly those of the working class.

“For labourers, there are no parties. We all defend the interests of labourers,” Prabowo stated.

Iqbal said that all these issues were brought forward as aspirations to be promptly addressed by the government.

“Mr President, whom we respect, we are bringing 11 issues that could serve as aspirations,” Iqbal remarked.

The first demand was to urge the passage of the Labour Bill, which he noted has often been delayed due to conflicting interests.

“Therefore, we humbly request that, through this May Day, hopefully by next year’s May Day, the Labour Bill has been passed and protects labourers throughout Indonesia,” he emphasised.