Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia on the Inauguration of 1,061 Red-White Village/Sub-District Cooperatives in East Java and Central Java, Saturday, May 16, 2026

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good Afternoon,
May prosperity be upon us all,
Syalom,
Salve,
Om swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.

Leaders of state institutions: Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI), Mr. Ahmad Muzani; Speaker of the Regional Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI), Mr. Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin and the members present; Speaker of Commission IV of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI), Ms. Siti Hediati Hariyadi, along with the members of Commission IV and other members present; Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs as the organizer together with the entire team involved, Mr. Zulkifli Hasan; Vice Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI);

Oh, this is the whole team, right? Let me mention them in order: the Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Commander of the TNI, Heads of Agencies, Vice Ministers, Special Envoys, and all members of the Red and White Cabinet present. Almost all ministers are present except those who received special permission due to other duties.

The Coordinating Ministers present besides the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs are: Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs General TNI (Ret.) Djamari Chaniago; Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Professor Yusril Ihza Mahendra; Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Professor Pratikno; Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Mr. Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar; Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Mr. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono; Commander of the TNI General Agus Subiyanto; Chief of the National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo; Governor of East Java Ms. Khofifah Indar Parawansa along with her staff and the East Java Regional Leadership Coordination Forum, the Military Regional Commander, the Regional Police Chief, and other leaders;

Distinguished Regents, Deputy Regents present, leaders of state-owned enterprises, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, leaders of private companies present, and all of you, village heads, subdistrict heads, and village and subdistrict officials who are willing to attend. Thank you;

All invitees and members of the press and media present.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This list of officials present is extremely long. There are 56 or 67 names here. Without reducing my respect, I do not need to mention the ministers one by one, right? You already know them. Agency heads, yes, but DPR members, I do not dare leave them out.

Vice Speaker of Commission IV DPR RI Mr. Abdul Kharis; Vice Speaker of Commission IV DPR RI Mr. Alex Indra Lukman; Vice Speaker of Commission VI DPR RI Mr. Eko Hendro Purnomo; member of Commission VII DPR RI Mr. Muhammad Hatta; member of Commission VII DPR RI Mr. Sigit Purnomo Syamsuddin Said; member of Commission X DPR RI Mr. Verrel Bramastya;

Commander of Military Region V/Brawijaya Major General Rudy Saladin; East Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Nanang Avianto; Head of the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office Mr. Abdul Qohar;

There are many regents present;

Regent of Pamekasan Kyai Haji Kholilurrahman, thank you; Regent of Banyuwangi Ms. Ipuk Fiestiandani, thank you; Regent of Bondowoso Mr. Abdul Hamid Wahid, thank you. This is also like attendance checking;

Regent of Situbondo Mr. Yusuf Rio Wahyu Prayogo; Regent of Jember Mr. Muhammad Fawait; Regent of Gresik Mr. Fandi Akhmad Yani; Regent of Malang Mr. M. Sanusi; Regent of Nganjuk Mr. Marhaen Djumadi; Regent of Pacitan Mr. Indrata Nur Bayuaji; Acting Regent of Ponorogo Ms. Lisdyarita; Regent of Probolinggo Mr. Mohammad Haris; Regent of Sidoarjo Mr. Subandi; Regent of Trenggalek Mr. Mochamad Nur Arifin; Acting Regent of Tulungagung Mr. Ahmad Baharudin; Regent of Madiun Mr. Hari Wuryanto; Mayor of Surabaya Mr. Eri Cahyadi; Mayor of Mojokerto Ms. Ika Puspitasari; Mayor of Kediri Ms. Vinanda Prameswati; Mayor of Malang Mr. Wahyu Hidayat; Acting Mayor of Batu Ms. Heli Suyanti; Mayor of Blitar Mr. Syauqul Muhibbin; Acting Mayor of Madiun Mr. Bagus Panuntun; Vice Regent of Magetan Mr. Suyatni Priasmoro; Vice Regent of Sumenep Kyai Haji Imam Hasyim; Vice Regent of Sampang Mr. Ahmad Mahfudz; Vice Regent of Lumajang Mr. Yudha Adji Kusuma; Vice Mayor of Probolinggo; Vice Mayor of Pasuruan Mr. Mokhamad Nawawi; Regional Secretary of Bangkala Regency Mr. Ismet Efendi; Regional Secretary of Ngawi Regency Mr. Mokhamad Sodiq Triwidiyanto.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, please note the absent officials. But let us think positively; surely they have duties more important than this event, or they are abroad. If they are abroad, also check where the funding came from. Did they obtain permission? Regional officials now also need presidential permission to travel overseas, right? They need permission. Permission from the Minister of Home Affairs? Please check later.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As faithful people, we must never stop giving thanks to Almighty God—for Muslims, Allah SWT—for all the blessings, for the health granted to us, for the breath still given to us, for the peace granted to our nation amid a world full of war, division, and conflict. Our country remains relatively peaceful and secure. We can gather for this important event. Earlier today I also attended the inauguration of the Marsinah Museum in Nganjuk, honoring a labor heroine and national heroine, and now we are here for the inauguration of the operationalization of 1,061 Red and White Village/Subdistrict Cooperatives.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I view this issue and this event as very important—a historic milestone. I think if we searched other countries or even our own national history, it would be difficult to find a government inaugurating the operation of more than one thousand cooperatives at once. Physically, the buildings exist, the warehouses exist, the systems exist, the goods exist, the officers exist, the logistics elements exist. There are trucks, pickup vehicles, and three-wheeled vehicles. I believe today is a very significant day.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we inaugurate the operationalization of 1,061 cooperatives. Let me explain the number 1,061. Initially, 1,300 cooperatives were slated to be inaugurated. But apparently some people were in a hurry, and then I said, just make it one thousand. Then the President Director of Agrinas Palma remembered that I like the number eight. So he said, “Then let’s make it 1,061, Sir. One plus six equals seven, seven plus one equals eight.” Indonesians like finding symbolic connections. But that is merely for enthusiasm. The essence is that from concept to realization, it took less than one year. Physical construction itself only started around November 2025. Until now, it has been less than seven months. In seven months, we have managed to operationalize 1,061 cooperatives. But according to the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, physically more than 9,000 are already prepared—9,000 buildings, 9,000 warehouses, 9,000 systems.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I believe this is an achievement for Indonesia. For too long our nation has been underestimated by other nations. We have been regarded as weak, a soft state. For too long our leaders, officials, public figures, experts, professors, intellectuals, and businesspeople have suffered from an inferiority complex. Whenever they see something foreign, they admire it more. But when it comes from our own nation, we tend not to trust it.

When we achieve something, we are mocked. We achieved food self-sufficiency, a struggle that was not easy. We are a nation of 287 million people. Ensuring food security for 287 million people is no easy task. But we succeeded. As President, responsible before the people, I am the one accountable. If this nation goes hungry, I am responsible. No one else will be blamed. So I tasked the Minister of Agriculture and his entire team to achieve food self-sufficiency within four years. They achieved it within one year.

I am grateful. I do not know how I happened to meet someone like Andi Amran Sulaiman. I had never known him before. Coincidentally, I met him and asked him several questions. I thought, “This man is good.” Then I proposed to President Jokowi that he be brought back as Minister of Agriculture. And what did foreigners say? The rest is history. He fought hard because he understands the problem. He had served as Minister before and came from a farming family. He understands the issue.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Why do I somewhat understand this issue? Because I was once a soldier, a commander, a military leader. A combat commander does not only think about bullets. Before an operation, we checked how much rice we had. If soldiers have no rice, if they do not eat, they cannot fight. During our war of independence, our military was supported by the people. Farmers fed our soldiers.

That is why I understand the importance of food. Food is a matter of life and death for a nation. I do not see food merely as a commodity. Food is about national survival. Therefore, I do not follow the theories saying rice and corn are more efficient if imported. National survival is not simply about where something is cheaper, but whether it is available or not. History, destiny, and reality have proven that because we secured our food supply early, whatever crisis happens abroad, we are relatively safer and more prepared.

Today, many countries are asking to buy rice from us. Neighbors who once considered themselves more advanced than us are now coming to Indonesia asking whether they may buy our rice. Some are still hesitant due to pride, perhaps still trying to buy elsewhere. But recently, India announced an export ban on rice, corn, and wheat. Bangladesh followed suit. Finally, some countries also came to us. I said, give it to them. If they need help, we should help. We should sell to them, but at a fair price. Our farmers must not become victims. The price must at least provide some profit. Do not sell too cheaply. This global crisis could last a long time. Our first priority is to secure our own people.

Ladies and gentlemen,

What we have achieved is real. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs was right, we have made many achievements. But sometimes we must also dare to promote ourselves, not by promoting lies, but by promoting the truth. We have achieved food self-sufficiency. We stabilized prices. We created millions of jobs. Now we also have a sovereign wealth fund. Our sovereign wealth fund may now be the sixth largest in the world. The assets we manage amount to one trillion US dollars.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We are now the fifth largest according to this list. It was only established in 2025. Abu Dhabi established theirs in 1976. China in 1997. CIC (China Investment Corporation) from China in 2007. Norway in 1990, and Norway’s is the largest. Norway is a small country with enormous savings. We are even above Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. So, our country is not bad at all. We now have Danantara. In 10 or 20 years, those of you who are still young will look back at 2025 and 2026 and see what we are building today. Not now, not in 2029, 20 years from now. What we are building today is foundational.

We created the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program, which is fundamental. Every day, money circulates in villages: 3,000 meals times Rp15,000 equals Rp45 million every day. Five days a week, twenty days a month. That becomes Rp900 million a month and Rp10.8 billion a year circulating within one village. Before MBG, villages only received Rp1 billion in village funds. With MBG, we add Rp10 billion. We borrowed Rp500million, but in six years it will be returned.

Ladies and gentlemen,

That means fish farmers can sell their catfish, onion farmers can sell their onions, tempe producers can sell their products, egg sellers can earn income. Producers in the villages come alive, and we reduce logistics costs. They no longer need to go far to the market—the market exists within the village itself.

This is the impact of MBG. Hundreds of trillions of rupiah will circulate in villages, urban communities, and regencies. If we only followed neoliberal free-market ideology where large capital dominates, the people’s money would simply flow abroad.

Ladies and gentlemen,

MBG combined with the Red and White Cooperatives will revive our economy. Village heads and regents are already beginning to feel it. Of course, there are problems and challenges. MBG still has problems that must be corrected. We Indonesians understand our weaknesses. Many among our leaders lack strong integrity and faith when dealing with money. But I have already said my government will not hesitate. Anyone who violates the rules, abuses authority, or deviates from the law will be disciplined, removed, and cleaned out.

MBG is very important for our nation. Everywhere I go, people, farmers tell me, “Sir, please do not stop MBG. It really helps feed our grandchildren. It helps our grandchildren, us, and our family.”

Now we support MBG with the Red and White village and urban cooperatives. Soon we will support it further with fisher villages and downstream industrialization. Through these cooperatives we will also distribute affordable credit to the people.

Yesterday I ordered that the Mekaar program from Permodalan Nasional Madani, which previously charged interest rates of 22–24 percent, must reduce them below 10 percent. Finally, the Minister of Finance and Danantara agreed on eight percent. Big businesses get loans at nine percent—how could mothers in villages pay 24 percent? That is unfair, and we are changing it. There will be financial support in the cooperatives.

Ladies and gentlemen,

With these cooperatives, I believe our growth will become real and stronger. Villages will no longer depend entirely on outside forces. Farmers have always faced the same problems: fertilizer, capital, and difficulty accessing markets after harvest. Many harvests are wasted. Farmers once told me, “Sir, I have the best mangoes in the world, but nobody buys them.” Their villages were isolated. Now cooperatives will have their own trucks and pickup vehicles. They can transport harvests to any market they choose.

The cooperatives will also sell necessities, distribute subsidized goods, gas cylinders, subsidized fertilizer, affordable credit, logistics services in cooperation with Indonesia Post, government assistance, rice procurement from farmers, and even affordable pharmacies.

Ladies and gentlemen,

From these one thousand cooperatives, I was informed that by August, we will inaugurate 30,000 cooperatives. Even if we only reach 20,000, that would already be an extraordinary achievement rarely seen in other countries. Please conduct research on which country has inaugurated 20,000 cooperatives within one year.

This proves that when the Indonesian government and its institutions have determination, strategy, and teamwork, we are capable of extraordinary things. We must eliminate the mentality that we are weak or defeated. No. We must become a victorious nation. And we will become strong, rise, and succeed.

Today we prove it, and in August we will prove it again with at least 20,000 cooperatives. Then by December, one thousand fisher villages. In 2027, we will build hundreds of new schools and people’s schools.

Ladies and gentlemen,

If Indonesia truly wants to and truly works together, Indonesia is not a weak nation. We are a strong nation. That is my conviction.

We no longer want Indonesia’s wealth to continue being stolen. Those who want to defend the people, join me. Those who want to defend thieves may stand on the other side; you will face the entire Indonesian people. I am sure.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Now I feel emotional and happy visiting regions, but I must admit it is exhausting. So many people gather on the streets. How can the President remain seated inside the car? I have to stand up. The people want to shake my hand, and of course, I must shake theirs. But the people of East Java have very strong handshakes. Perhaps because many are farmers. Even the mothers have strong hands. After several visits, I need special oil for my hands. But that is the risk. They wait for hours under the sun.

I am even thinking of asking Pindad, Professor Sigit, to design a special presidential vehicle with glass so that people can still see me standing. I am already 75 years old. But I feel sorry for the people waiting for so long. Even though it hurts, I remain enthusiastic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you. These cooperatives will become our pride. I thank Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs and all ministers. This is teamwork. Without support from the Minister of Home Affairs, governors, regents, village heads, the TNI, and the National Police, this would not be possible. Some ministers handled legal matters, others financial matters. Mr Purbaya is now very popular. Please, do not worry about the dollar exchange rate. We do not really use them; those who love travelling abroad will be the first to be impacted.

Trust that our economy is strong and our fundamentals are strong. Indonesia is strong. Believe in our own strength. Believe in our people. All leaders must work for the people, regardless of political party. Every party has patriots, and every party also has bad people. Even as Chairman of Gerindra, I sometimes feel frustrated. There is no exception. Anyone who violates the law must be dealt with. Everyone must self-correct, guard themselves, remind one another, and uphold integrity.

Thank you. Let us move forward with confidence. These cooperatives will belong to all of us and become our shared strength. They will support an Indonesia Incorporated. Our economy is based on the principle of family cooperation as stated in the Constitution. The strong must support the weak. The rich must help the poor. Corporations must be strong. Cooperatives must be strong. MSMEs must also be strong. We must not destroy or cheat one another.

Thank you for all your hard work. Once again, this could not have happened without good cooperation from all elements involved. Thank you to the Commander of the TNI, the Chief of Police, and all the teams who worked together.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
May prosperity be upon us all,
Syalom,
Salve,
Om santi santi santi om,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue,
Rahayu rahayu.

Independence! That is the spirit of a great country!

Thank you.

 (RD/MUR)