Told not to dance, Prabowo: Our people love to dance

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto revealed that he had been advised not to dance, as it was deemed inappropriate for a leader, but he joked that the Indonesian people love to dance.

Prabowo made these remarks during a speech at the peak of the 28th anniversary celebrations of the National Mandate Party (PAN) in Jakarta on Friday (18/9) evening.

“I have been told that I must not dance. So, those experts feel it is inappropriate for an Indonesian leader to dance. But what do you think? Our people love to dance,” said Prabowo, which was met with loud applause from the event participants.

In front of more than a thousand PAN cadres and leaders, Prabowo expressed his impression of the festive atmosphere organised by the party.

He even requested the Secretary General of the Gerindra Party, Sugiono, to study the organisation of PAN’s event.

“I see that other parties organise such grand and boisterous events. Try this, Gerindra’s Secretary General, take note of that—where, what, this event is extraordinary. This is a party that has no money, let alone a party that has money,” Prabowo joked.

Prabowo then responded to the smiles of PAN leaders after he referred to the party as “not having money”.

“Many PAN leaders are smiling. They are actually smiling to hide the fact that they have no money just now. Calm down, calm down, God does not sleep,” he said.

Sugiono accompanied Prabowo to attend the 28th anniversary of PAN at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Jakarta, alongside the Deputy Chairman of the Gerindra Party, Prasetyo Hadi.

Several political party leaders and state officials also attended the event, including Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the Speaker of the MPR RI Ahmad Muzani, and the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment as well as the Chairman of PKB, Muhaimin Iskandar.

Also present were the Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Maman Abdurrahman, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources as well as the Chairman of the Golkar Party Bahlil Lahadalia, and the Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.