Top 3: Prabowo Reviews Ministers' Salary Cuts as MBG Programme Continues
Three news stories in the National channel became the most popular at the start of the first week of Eid. The articles include responses from ministers of the Red and White Cabinet regarding President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to cut their salaries and Prabowo Subianto’s promise to reform the Indonesian National Police (Polri).
Here is a summary of the three most popular news stories in the National channel.
- Ministers’ Responses to Salary Cuts
President Prabowo Subianto plans to cut the salaries of state officials to save state expenditure amid the state budget deficit and rising oil prices due to the Iran war.
Prabowo expressed this intention during a full cabinet plenary session at the State Palace on Friday, 13 March 2026. He emphasised the importance of saving even though the country has not yet entered a crisis. Prabowo cited Pakistan as an example, which has implemented extreme measures such as reducing working days and cutting officials’ salaries.
“This is just for comparison. So, they consider it already critical, like we did during Covid-19,” said Prabowo.
Several ministers responded to the plan to cut state officials’ salaries to save the budget. One of them is the Minister of Population and Family Development/Head of the Population and Family Development Agency, Wihaji. He said he would follow Prabowo’s decision.
This Golkar Party politician said the President’s step is for the sake of the nation. “I am the President’s assistant. Whatever policy is taken by the President, we will certainly obey and comply,” he said when contacted on Monday, 23 March 2026.
Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti holds the same view. He admitted he would follow the President’s policy. “I will obey whatever becomes the President’s policy,” he said when contacted on Monday, 23 March 2026.
Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency Nusron Wahid said this goodness is for the common good and welfare. “As servants and state apparatus, we say sami’na wa argo’ a as long as it is for the good and welfare of the nation and people of Indonesia,” said the Golkar politician when contacted on Monday, 23 March 2026.
- Prabowo to Make Decision on Reforming Polri
President Prabowo Subianto responded to public doubts about the government’s commitment to implementing recommendations from the Police Reform Commission.
Prabowo stated that the government will study the recommendations of the Police Reform Acceleration Commission regarding efforts to improve the police institution. He assured that he will review which ones can be implemented immediately and which need to be postponed, considering various aspects.
According to Prabowo, the state must have a competent, clean, and credible law enforcement institution. “Later we will make a rational decision. The state needs professional law enforcement institutions, that are clean, non-corrupt, full of integrity; that is absolute,” said Prabowo in a roundtable discussion forum with several journalists and experts in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, as quoted from an interview video shared by the Presidential Secretariat on Sunday, 22 March 2026.
Prabowo said that improving the police institution does not always have to go through a reform team. However, he acknowledged that the Police Reform Acceleration Commission is a crucial instrument.
- Prabowo Will Not Stop MBG
President Prabowo insists he will not stop the free nutritious meals (MBG) programme despite facing an oil crisis due to the Iran war. Prabowo claims there are many ways for the government to save if a crisis occurs, without stopping that priority programme.
This statement about MBG was made during a roundtable discussion forum with several journalists and experts at Prabowo’s private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday, 17 March 2026. In the interview session, Prabowo answered that the government will continue MBG amid the West Asia crisis situation.
“Don’t go towards, ‘Okay, there’s a crisis, then we’ll stop MBG’. There are still many other ways we can save,” said Prabowo, quoted from an interview video shared by the Presidential Secretariat on Sunday, 22 March 2026.
The Gerindra Party General Chairman explained that during his campaign, he saw many children suffering from stunting or chronic malnutrition.
“We have the money. I stake my leadership; by 2029, we’ll see,” said Prabowo.
According to Prabowo, funding for MBG comes from budget efficiency results. “Rather than money being corrupted, it’s better if my people can eat,” he said.