Prabowo's Latest Statement on Foreign Proxies at TNI Event

President Prabowo Subianto has urged the public not to always follow foreign parties. He made the statement during a speech at the Indonesian Military’s harvest event in Malang, East Java. Prabowo initially expressed his desire to increase the number of ethanol plants in Indonesia as part of an effort to develop fuel blended with ethanol. He noted that Indonesia can now mix petrol with ethanol at a 20 percent level, known as E20. However, he said the problem is that Indonesia currently only has one ethanol plant, so he decided to build up to 50 plants. He then questioned the audience’s readiness. “Indonesia can, right? Those who don’t want to, it’s okay. Just sit down. Watch. But don’t always blindly follow foreign powers,” Prabowo said at the event on Friday, 17 July 2026, as broadcast live on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel. In his speech, Prabowo again touched on the ‘Indonesia Gelap’ (Dark Indonesia) campaign, a narrative used to voice dissatisfaction with the country’s condition. “Indonesia is bad. Indonesia is what? Indonesia is dark. If you wear dark glasses, then of course it’s dark,” Prabowo remarked. The former Defence Minister then took a swipe at those who predicted the nation’s downfall. “Every month Indonesia will collapse, they said. It was supposed to collapse in June, now it’s already July,” Prabowo stated. He also affirmed that his administration will continue working to pursue national development targets, adding, “We work with a joyful spirit, an optimistic spirit. Brave people are joyful, brave people are optimistic. Sad people just sit in their rooms.”