Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the 2025 National Christmas Celebration

Monday, January 5, 2026

at Tennis Indoor Senayan, Jakarta

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

Good evening,

Peace be upon us all,

Shalom,

Salve,

Om swastiastu,

Namo Buddhaya,

Greetings of virtue,

Rahayu, rahayu.

Distinguished Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Gibran Rakabuming Raka;

General Chairperson of the 2025 National Christmas Celebration-cum-Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Maruarar Sirait;

Steering Committee of the 2025 National Christmas Celebration Hashim Djojohadikusumo; General Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (Retd);

Distinguished Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. K.H. Nasaruddin Umar; Speaker of the Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI) Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin; Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Agencies, Vice Heads of Agencies, Vice Ministers, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Indonesian National Police Chief, along with the Chiefs of Staff of the TNI, and all members of the Red and White Cabinet present here, whose individual names I cannot mention one by one without diminishing my respect;

Dear national church figures: Chairperson of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) Reverend Jacklevyn Frits Manuputty; Chairperson of the Communion of Evangelical Churches and Institutions in Indonesia (PGLII) Reverend Tommy Lengkong; Chairperson of the Communion of Pentecostal Churches in Indonesia (PGPI) Reverend Jason Balompapueng; Chairperson of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (GMAHK) Reverend Sonny Situmorang; General Chairperson of the Salvation Army Colonel Hosea Makagiantang; General Chairperson of the Indonesian Orthodox Church (GOI) Presbyter Yakobus Jimmy Mboe; General Chairperson of the Communion of Chinese Churches in Indonesia (PGTI) Reverend Lukas Jetro Kusumo; Chairperson of the Presidium of the Indonesian Baptist Communion (PBI) Reverend Randy Alexander Chuang; Secretary General of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI) Monsignor Adrianus Sunarko; Church abbots, Sunday School teachers, Christian and Catholic religious teachers, Sunday School children, people with disabilities, orphanages, and my beloved choir;

Dear leaders of student religious organizations, Indonesian Catholic Student Association (PMKRI), Indonesian Christian Student Movement (GAMKI), and Indonesian National Student Movement (GMNI);

Dear my Christian compatriots, wherever you are, either present here in person or via video conference;

Distinguished attendees, invited guests, fellow members of the press and media; Distinguished Jakarta’s Governor Pramono Anung;

Palestinian Ambassador Dr. Zuhair Al-Shun.

As pious people, we ceaselessly express our gratitude to the Almighty God, the Owner of all the universe, for all His gifts, for all His blessings, for the health we enjoy, and also for the peace He continues to bestow upon our nation and country, so that we can gather tonight at the 2025 National Christmas Celebration on January 5, 2026.

I express my deepest gratitude for the honor given to me to be present here and to personally convey Merry Christmas greetings to my Christian compatriots, wherever you are. May the peace of Christmas bring goodness, blessings, love, hope, and strength to us all.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today’s event is a proof of our Indonesian identity as a diverse, multiethnic, multiracial, multireligious, and multicultural nation. We are a great nation. Some experts estimate that Indonesia is home to around 1,700 ethnic groups, each with its own regional languages.

Across this Nusantara (Indonesia’s archipelago), our communities embrace different religions, yet we can unite and live as one nation, one “Nusa” (islands) with one language because we share the same purpose. We dream of a prosperous life together. We have been destined by the Almighty to live in this Nusantara. We cannot choose where or from which mother’s womb we were born. This is our divine destiny and Indonesia emerged through this destiny.

I am deeply grateful and proud to have the great honor to serve as a President of such a vast country, the fourth most populous in the world. Our country is as expansive as Europe, which has 27 countries, while we are one country. Also, I am grateful that I was elected by the Indonesian people. Once I was elected and inaugurated, I understood, I realized, and I learned about the state of the Indonesian nation. We truly should be grateful; our nation truly possesses enormous wealth.

However, we also face enormous challenges. I believe, as servants of God, we must all understand that if we are unable to safeguard and manage all the goodness and wealth given by the Almighty, we cannot blame anybody for our bad fortune.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this occasion, I would like to say that, in the midst of a world full of uncertainty and turmoil of war everywhere, we should be grateful that our nation is at peace to this day. We understand that such a large nation as our country will inevitably have to deal with disagreements, conflicts, agreements, and competition. However, in general, other nations are beginning to take notice of Indonesia, seeing that such a large nation can live in harmony, with mutual respect and love.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A global survey which was conducted jointly by Harvard University and the Gallup [World] Poll and was just released shows that out of nearly 200 countries, the country whose people responded that they were happy when asked was Indonesia–the happiest country in the world today.

I am so touched. I understand that the majority of our people still live a very, very modest life, in a condition that is very far from prosperous. Yet, when asked, they still say they are happy. This has confused other nations and also moved me.

Therefore, my ministers and I have worked very hard. For a year now, we have been receiving assignments from the Indonesian people. I have been assisted by my ministers who, I must admit, are the nation’s top talents.

I am grateful to be given the opportunity to join President Joko Widodo’s government. For five years, I was engaged in the executive branch. So, for me, those five years have been a kind of apprenticeship, a learning period. At the time I attended the first cabinet meeting, I looked around, and of course I had attended the inauguration. I told some of my colleagues—I said—at that time, in 2019, I was the losing candidate, right? But when I entered the cabinet room, I looked around, and I said, if I win, I will definitely invite most of the cabinet (members) to help me, and I prove that when I am elected as the President, many of them still join the cabinet. Why? Because leading, managing, and controlling a country as large as ours must involve the nation’s top talents. We cannot afford to make any arbitrary decision to choose who will do it.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must admit that, despite the goodness of the Indonesian nation, many of its elites are still far from perfect. In my experience, the higher people’s status in society is, the less sincere they are. Our people belonging to the bottom layer of society are extraordinary. But at the higher level, there’s a culture of being sarcastic, mocking, and criticizing what our own people do. This is odd, but it’s okay. Since there are many pastors, many priests present here, we must always speak of goodness.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some of my family members are Christians. If I’m not mistaken, Monsignors, Reverends, the most fundamental Christian teaching is that if someone slaps you on the left cheek, you should turn the other cheek, right? Because in my childhood, I went to a Christian school too. Perhaps I understand the stories in the Bible better than you. So, the Christian teachings saying “if someone slaps you on the left cheek, you have to turn the other cheek” mean that you have to forgive. Is it true?”Forgive those who trespass against us,” right? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

So, actually, for me, I always want to seek goodness over evil. I want to seek unity over division.

If you enter the political arena, the competition is fierce, tight, and that’s okay. Even on the soccer field, the competition is fierce. No one wants to lose, right? When we lose in soccer, it’s incredibly saddening. I’ve lost the presidential elections so many times, I’ve forgotten. But, that’s okay. We shouldn’t get hurt. We shouldn’t hold grudges. We shouldn’t hate. And I try to stick to that principle.

When I was young in Jakarta, as young people, we always wanted to learn self-defense. Why? We didn’t want to lose if we fought. So, I looked everywhere for teachers, and all the teachers I met, the ones who were great at martial arts, always taught me, “Prabowo, you have to be brave, but don’t hold grudges or hate,” and I think this is the teaching of all religions.

So, sometimes in my family, some of my siblings would get angry with me, saying, “Bowo, why are you always…while he used to do this and that to you?” I’d say, “That was in the past. Now, we have to unite, we have to work together.”

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

That is actually the teaching of almost all religions. That is the teaching of wise teachers but that is also a geopolitical analysis. Global geopolitical experts take a look on Indonesia. (Indonesia) is extraordinary and rich. Now the problem is how we preserve and manage this wealth so that it can be enjoyed by all Indonesians. We must acknowledge this, Ladies and Gentlemen. Let’s not be proud with mere words about wealth, production, ownership, or anything else. We must now struggle so that this wealth truly benefits all Indonesians. We must eradicate poverty from Indonesia. We must eliminate hunger from Indonesia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is the age of technology. Social media is one such example. Social media is good, but it also has some dangers with so many podcasts or many experts talking nonsense. So, I see some experts who always understand Prabowo Subianto’s thoughts. Sometimes, when I want to check on what Prabowo Subianto is thinking, I look for podcasts. I wonder what Prabowo is thinking. It’s all made up, you know. Prabowo is having an internal conflict with this, then with that. They like to make things worse and viral. But there’s nothing, Ladies and Gentlemen.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Geopolitical experts say that Indonesia will become the fourth richest nation in the world. But there are conditions. What conditions? It can happen if the Indonesian nation can unite. What conditions? Especially if its elites can work together.The moment I saw it, read it a few years ago, I became even more convinced.

At the end, whatever our differences, whatever our past sins, because we are humans, we are prone to sins, we are prone to make mistakes. We must work together, we must unite. The strong shall pull the weak. The weak shall come together, work together, compete fairly, but once the game is over, stand for unity. Unity.

Some say that unity is undemocratic. Well, democracy is fine, correction is fine, criticism is fine, but slander is bad. All religions do not allow slander. In Christianity, I am sure the same principle applies. “Thou shalt not lie.” Lies are not good, especially those that generate suspicion, disunity, and hatred. They can destroy us all.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is Islamic teaching saying that slander is crueler than murder. Can you imagine that? We should be grateful for criticism. If I am criticized, I believe that I am being helped or safeguarded. Sometimes we don’t like being criticized, but it actually safeguards us, right?

As a simple example, imagine that sometimes we forget to fasten a button in our uniform. Then our subordinate comes running and telling, “Sir, your uniform, sir, the button!” Hey, how dare such a junior correct me? But he corrects me to safeguard me. Imagine, the President shows up, and the button in his uniform isn’t [properly fastened], right? Sometimes I get annoyed with my aide, thinking he’s such a nag. But he safeguards me. I’ve been safeguarded several times.

This is a story when I was still on duty (in military). I left the room to get an apple. I did not remember whether I was busy, but I forgot to wear my rank insignia at the time I was leaving. My subordinate ran in, saying, “Sir, sir, don’t go out, sir, your rank insignia isn’t complete.” Oh yeah. So what? He safeguarded me. Criticism and correction are lifesaving. So, I thank you. If anyone shouts, “Prabowo wants to revive militarism,” wow, correct me, is it right? Okay, then we’ll see.Call legal experts, ask them, where is the limit of overly authoritarian leadership?

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

That’s what I want to convey to you. We have a bright future. Even if there are cynical groups, that’s okay. We will work based on evidence, not just promises. During my campaign for decades, I always said that Indonesia must be self-sufficient in food. I always talk about this wherever I am. When I still served in Golkar (party), I said that. There are many Golkar party members present here who can bear witness because I am a Golkar party alumnus. I have not changed.

During my last campaign, food self-sufficiency was my number one priority. Once I became the President, that was my focus. I gave my team a target: we must achieve rice self-sufficiency in four years. That was my target, four years.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this Christmas celebration, I am proud to announce that after December 31, 2025, Indonesia will be self-sufficient in rice. In 2025, we did not import rice at all. We achieved the four-year target in one year. This helps not only Indonesian people, but also the world. Why? Because of our decision not to import rice, global rice prices have dropped hundreds of dollars, by the way. So, many countries are grateful to us. That’s one example.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I launched the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. Why? I had run campaign for many times. I also participated in several presidential elections. How many times? Four times. I had lost three times, but only at the fourth time did I win.Right? I went to villages everywhere, and I saw little children. I asked them, “How old are you?” Nine, ten, eleven (years old), but their bodies are the same as those of four-year-old kids. They were small, suffering from malnutrition. So, I travelled the world, I learned. I saw how India helps its poor with free nutritious meals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

India’s national budget puts its priority in defense because India does not want to risk the safety of their nation. Number one is defense. Number two or three is nutritious food. Brazil has also implemented a nutritious food program since 12 or 13 years ago. Ladies and Gentlemen, now 76 countries are implementing nutritious food programs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the experts from the US, the Rockefeller Institute, came to Indonesia, saw our project, and shared their opinions with me at the Merdeka Palace. An expert from the Rockefeller Institute told me, “This is your best investment.” Investing one rupiah in the free nutritious meal program, according to the Rockefeller Institute, will multiply the economic value from fivefold to 35-fold. That’s what they said; I did not push them to tell me so. I was simply driven by my inability to bear the sight of malnourished Indonesian children. As for children coming from well-off families, they do not become my concern. But nutritious food is extremely important for children in many regions.

Every time I went around the regions, I felt sad. Because even though someone shouted, “Thank you, Sir, for the MBG,” when I moved forward another five meters, someone else asked, “Sir, when will we receive the MBG?” Because even though it’s extraordinary, I thank the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). I received a report today saying that the MBG has reached more than 51 million beneficiaries. Is that right, Pak Dadan? Oh, is it already 55 million? I thought it’s still 51 million. The number of beneficiaries of the MBG in Indonesia has reached 55 million. It is equivalent to feeding eight times Singaporean people. Every day, we feed 55 million mouths, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Brazilian President told me that they reached 40 million [beneficiaries] within 11 years. We reached 55 million [beneficiaries] in one year. Because we started on January 6, 2025. Today it is January 5, 2026, Ladies and Gentlemen.And there are those saying, “Prabowo created the MBG program to gain votes for 2029 presidential election.” They always think negatively. But if the people elect me in 2029, is it wrong? If God permits. If God doesn’t permit it, whatever I do, it won’t happen. Right? I’ve run for the presidential elections four times but I lost three times. Because at that time, Pak Luhut didn’t support me.

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s the point I want to convey. Our country is great. Our country is rich. And our country can be even more prosperous, as long as its leaders are united. They work together. Unity doesn’t mean all (parties) have to serve in the Government. PDI-P (party) does not join the Government. It’s okay, but they have to work together with the Government.

I support Pramono for Jakarta’s Governor. Ladies and gentlemen, does the MBG not reach West Sumatra’s people? Although I lost (votes) in West Sumatra, it does not mean that I exclude West Sumatra’s people from receiving the MBG. Do I forbid the MBG in Aceh? I lost in Aceh. No, I don’t belong to one party. I now belong to the entire Indonesian nation. So, that’s what I want to say on this Christmas occasion. This celebration is an honor for me. This celebration proves that Indonesia is a harmonious nation. We respect each other, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am very proud of our leaders. Bung Karno, the President, built the largest mosque in Indonesia, the Istiqlal Mosque. He appointed a Christian as its architect. A Christian was the architect of the Istiqlal Mosque. Where else can we find something like this? I built a not-so-large mosque in Hambalang. The architect and the constructor were Catholic. It’s an honor for me. I love music. I have a philharmonic orchestra and a band. Once, all the members of my band happened to be Christians, there were 17 of them. The four core members were Christians too. One time, I was surprised. During Eid al-Fitr, they were reciting the sholawat (Islamic prayer song). The sholawat of Badar, the sholawat of Rasulullah. It was amazing that Christians recite the sholawat. This warmed my heart. I’m proud to be an Indonesian. Because I was a soldier then, and now, at heart, I’m still a soldier. I can no longer physically climb mountains carrying a backpack. I can only climb mountains by helicopter.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When I still served in the army, some of my subordinates were Hindu, some of them were Catholic, and some were Protestant. I still remember my subordinates who were killed while on duty. I still remember. Some of them were Catholic, some were Protestant, some were Hindu. When I ordered one of them to go into battle, did he ask, “Sir, why should I go?” No, he didn’t. He did his duty unquestioningly.

And what was touching for me was when I told his parents, upon returning from the operational area. I told them, I still remember the soldier’s name, Stefanus, Sergeant Stefanus. His mother came to my office, bringing his uniform and service shoes with her. “Sir, these items belong to the country, I want to return them back.” Can you imagine that? Then, “Sir, I just want to ask one thing. Was my son killed in the battle by the enemy?” “Yes, Ma’am. You must be sure that your son died as the glory of the nation in the battle.” “Then, I am willing,” I still remember.

I had another subordinate, a Flores man from Ende. I still remember his name, Cyprianus Gebo from Ende. I visited his house in Ende. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Indonesia. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). Different but One, with One Goal. Let us maintain our unity. Let’s all continue to foster and promote our unity and good cooperation.Let’s love each other, care for each other, respect each other, protect each other, and forgive each other for our mistakes.

Therefore, in closing, by the way, if you ask Gerindra party members, they may say that Prabowo can say his closing seven times. But no. This time, I just want to say it once. In closing, in this celebration, I, personally, as Prabowo Subianto, and as President of the Republic of Indonesia, apologize profusely if I have said anything wrong or offended anyone. My ministers and I have committed ourselves to working hard to eradicate poverty from Indonesia.

We are working hard to reduce the suffering and hardship of our people, especially now in disaster areas. We are working hard to improve the welfare of our people. Trust me, that is our commitment, and we are very optimistic about it. We firmly believe that we are on the right path, based on truth, on justice, and truly for the good of all Indonesians.

Thank you.

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Peace be upon you,

Shalom,

Salve,

Om santi santi santi om,

Namo Buddhaya,

Rahayu, rahayu.

Independence!

Independence!

Independence!

May God Almighty always protect us all.

Thank you.

(JAS/TM)