Zulhas Whispers to Prabowo on Replacing BGN Head: 'Replace with Someone Younger'

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has disclosed the reason behind the replacement of the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which manages the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. Zulhas assessed that the programme, which targets tens of millions of beneficiaries, requires leadership capable of working swiftly to resolve various issues on the ground. “The MBG serves 82 million people. There are many problems, yes, but those involved in moral hazard, those who stole, those who robbed, have been imprisoned and replaced,” Zulhas said during a panel session at the VIII Indonesian Muslim Congress (KUII) in Menara Bidakara, Jakarta, on Saturday. Zulhas did not deny that the implementation of the MBG still faces a number of challenges. However, he continued, the government has taken action against various irregularities occurring in the programme’s execution. He recounted a conversation with President Prabowo Subianto while attending a sugar cane harvest. On that occasion, Zulhas proposed that the leadership of the BGN be entrusted to a younger figure so that the programme’s implementation could be accelerated. “Last week, I was invited by the President to harvest sugar cane. ‘Sir, you have given me responsibility for the SPPG, yes. You want it to be fast and good, yes. May I make a suggestion? Yes, replace them with someone younger,’” Zulhas recounted. According to Zulhas, the suggestion was based on the consideration of the immense workload involved in running the MBG programme. Zulhas mentioned the health condition of BGN Head Nanik S Deyang, which was not optimal for carrying out such a major task.