Remarks of President Prabowo at the Inauguration of Marsinah Museum and Shelter
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May peace be upon us all,
Shalom,
Salve,
Om swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greeting of virtue.
Distinguished Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia, Ahmad Muzani,
Ministers, Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI),
Chief of the National Police,
Heads of Agencies,
Vice Ministers, and all members of the Red and White Cabinet in attendance,
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, General (Ret.) Djamari Chaniago,
Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono,
Minister of the Environment, who also helms the All-Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI),
Minister of Manpower Professor Yassierli; Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Mukhtarudin,
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Arifah Fauzi,
Chief of the Indonesian National Police General Listyo Sigit Prabowo,
Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) General Agus Subiyanto,
Presidential Chief of Staff General (Ret.) Dudung Abdurachman,
Head of the Government Communications Agency Muhammad Qodari,
Vice Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor,
Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Regent of Nganjuk Regency Marhaen Djumadi,
Leaders of labor union confederations:
President of the All-Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) Andi Gani Nena Wea, President of the Confederation of Indonesia Prosperity Trade Union (KSBSI) Elly Rosita Silaban, Chairperson of the Confederation of Indonesian Labor Unions Ilhamsyah.
Distinguished Directors of BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan;
Honorable representatives of labor union organizations in attendance;
Honorable representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), thank you very much for attending;
Factory workers, construction workers, pedicab drivers, agricultural laborers, fisheries workers, and laborers from all across Indonesia who are present here and wherever you may be whom I am proud of;
Oh yes, I was just reminded, Chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is also here. Bapak K.H. Anwar Iskandar, thank you;
General Secretary of ITUC-AP (International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific), Mr. Shoya, thank you.
There are so many distinghuished guests present here, including 38 affiliate chairpersons. Should I mention each of you one by one? Perhaps not, otherwise someone might feel left out. So please, do not take offense. Without in any way diminishing my respect for all of you, Ladies and Gentlemen.
As people of faith, let us never cease to offer our praise and gratitude to Allah subhanhu wa ta’aala, the Almighty God, the Creator of all the worlds. To Him alone we pray, and from Him alone we seek help. We are grateful for all the blessing, goodness, and health that He has bestowed upon us, both as a nation and as individuals.
We are blessed to gather in Nganjuk regency in this morning to inaugurate a museum dedicated to commemorating the struggle of workers. This, I believe, is a very rare event. To my knowledge, there has never been a museum devoted spefically to labor before – a labor museum. Perhaps this is even the first of its kinds in the world, although, this would, of course, need to be verified. Nevertheless, this remains a remarkable and rare occasion.
My fellow Indonesians, especially all workers across the homeland,
I believe this museum was established as a symbol and a historic milestone to honor the courage of a fighter – a young fighter, a woman fighter – who struggled for the rights of workers. Her struggle represents the struggle of all those who stand on the side of the weak, the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The current generation must always remember that the establishment of our country was a long journey filled with hard work and challenges. We must understand that in governing a nation, there are many possible state philosophies. In truth, the case of Marsinah – who was brutally murdered for defending the rights of factory workers – should never have occured. Our country was founded upon the philosophical foundation of Pancasila, the five principles, a great concept initiated by our nation’s founders and enshrined in the preamble of our Constitution. It embodies our shared consensus, common agreement as a nation.
We have been able to remain united because of Pancasila. Although the country is made up of hundreds of ethnic groups and is home to different religions, and races, we are still to stand as one. We fought against colonial powers. After World War II, the British, as victors, returned to open the way for the Dutch to reassert control, and we resisted them; we resisted Japan, and we resisted various attempts by major powers to divide Indonesia. History now shows that many of those rebellions were supported by global powers. Pancasila clearly sets out its five principles, especially the fifth principle: social justice for all the people of Indonesian. In essence, Indonesia is a nation founded on the principle of kinship.
Article 33 (of the 1945 Constitution) states that our national economy is organized as a common endeavor on the principle of kinship. In practice, this means those who are wealthy should help those who are poor, and those who are strong should support those who are weak. This is the true spirit of kinship.
Workers are children of the nation. Fishers are children of the nation. Leaders, politicians, and bureaucrats are merely public servants, temporary holders of a mandate, entrusted only to lead and serve everyone. In truth, state officials, military personnel, and police officers are chosen, financed, and paid by the people – fed by the people, given shoes by the people, given hats by the people, given rank by the people. Therefore, if these foundations of our nationhood are truly understood and deeply internalized, incidents of injustice would never to occur. Thanks be to God, such events are behind us, and today we are striving to make things better.
As a president, I felt honored to receive representatives of workers and laborers. They asked why there was no national hero from the labor movement. I replied, “Who is your candidate?”
If the labor groups were able to agree on a candidate, I would appoint that person as a national hero. They later returned to me, and all labor organizations unanimously proposed Ibu Marsinah as their choice. I was deeply honored to confer upon her the title of a national hero. At that time, they were put forward another request – and indeed they had many requests. They asked me to inaugurate the Marsinah Museum in Nganjuk. I said, “Alright, I will come”. They then suggested another date. May 1 is International Workers’ Day, May Day, at Monas, but they asked for the 2nd of May. I consulted Minister of State Secretary regarding the schedule, and in the end we agreed on today, May 16, 2026.
What time did I arrive here earlier? Oh, it’s now nine thirty, so let us first take note of the time. Today, May 16th, happens to be the birthday of my grandfather, Margono Djojohadikoesoemo. Throughout his life, he consistently championed the cooperative movement. Therefore, after this event, I will proceed to the inauguration of the Village and the Red-and-White Subdistrict Cooperatives throughout Indonesia. Today, we will inaugurate more than one thousand cooperatives.
Speaking of today’s date, the sixteenth of May: one plus six equals seven. May is the fifth month, so seven plus five equals twelve, and one plus two equals three. Then, if we add together the digits of the year 2026, we get ten, and three plus ten makes thirteen, which happens to be one of my lucky numbers. Earlier, there was even a plan to arrange my arrival time so that the total would come at eight or perhaps thirteen. But in any case, what truly matter is that I am here today and have fulfilled my promise.
Earlier, I visited Marsinah’s room. Her room has been preserved as it was. I can see her struggle, and I am deeply troubled by what happened. That there was an individual, a company leader, who acted with malicious intents purely in pursuit of excessive profits, in a way that did not reflect the foundational principles of our republic. Therefore, under my leadership, I am determined to uphold our Constitution and to uphold Pancasila, affirming that Indonesia is a nation founded on the principle of kinship.
To all businesspeople, let us join hands in building an “Indonesia Incorporated”. In essence, “Indonesia Incorporated” means a nation founded on the principle of kinship. This nation is like one great corporation in which all Indonesian people are shareholders in the country’s entire wealth. Every Indonesian citizen has a rightful claim to that wealth. At every level, leaders carry the responsibility to fight for this principle with all the strength and courage – not to do the opposite. What we must firmly reject is any situation in which individuals who are not true leaders, not officials, not elected by the people instead collude to strip the people of their rights over Indonesia’s wealth. Brothers and sisters, this is our common struggle.
Once again, I want to stress that I am not opposed to free market mechanisms. I am not anti-free market mechanisms. I simply recognize that free markets can be misused. The poor are often asked to compete with those who possess enormous capital, and under such conditions real competition becomes impossible. Indonesia is a nation based on the principle of kinship. We are a nation grounded in Pancasila. Therefore, the Government must take a clear stance. The Government must intervene. The Government must defend those who are poorest. In international or modern terms, this is what is known as “affirmative action”. If other countries can implement affirmative action, why should we not use affirmative action to protect our own people? So yes, we are open to cooperate. Let’s work together.
This is our shared struggle, which finds embodiment in Ibu Marsinah as a symbol. Through her, we are able to take an important step, however small, toward upholding justice. Yes, upholding justice. We must improve every aspect of our national life, and we must be honest with ourselves. We must be aware of our shortcomings, and we must safeguard the dignity of our legal institutions. Our judges must be fair, competent, and incorruptible.
Therefore, I am pleased to announce that last year I decided to increase judges’ salaries. I raised them by almost 300 percent, precisely 280 percent. Among ASEAN countries, the salaries of our judges have now surpassed those in Malaysia. The pay received by our most junior judges is already twice that of their counterparts in Malaysia. The Chief Justice of our Supreme Court even receives a higher take-home pay than the Chief Justice of Singapore. That is a noteworthy achievement, but we must not be complacent. We must continue to make improvements. Our judges and our courts are the final institution to which the people, especially at the grassroots – can turn in their search for justice.
Therefore, let us work together to improve this together. Other institutions must also undergo reform. The prosecutor’s office, the police, and the military must engage in serious self-correction. They must eradicate misconduct and corruption within their own ranks. I repeat: all state apparatus must improve themselves. They must clean themselves and have the courage to correct their own faults. They must never become institutions that protect wrongdoing – not suppoting illegal activities, not backing smuggling, not backing narcoticss, not backing any form of unlawful practice.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we must not allow such things to happen. On behalf of the people, I call upon you to be members of the military and police officers who stand with people and are truly loved by the people.
This effort has already been initiated by the leadership of the TNI and the Police. I have seen it myself. I have been asked about it, and I have been ridiculed in other countries. I am quite used to being mocked. It’s all right; let them mock me. At most, I am the one who get ridiculed. But the people who are struggling suffer far more every day, so if I am mocked, it’s nothing. TNI and police officers are also mocked. People ask: ‘Why are the police taking care of corn? Why is the military working in the rice fields?’ This is precisely why I say that our military is a people’s military, and our police must become a people’s police. And this is exactly what the current Police leadership is working to build today.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must engage in serious self-introspection. I am deeply saddened when I received reports of officials involved in misconduct. It pains me to learn that people I have appointed, people I have mentored, people I have honored with important positions, have instead chosen to do wrong and steal public funds. In moments like this, I ask myself: what else should I do?
Head of Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) came to see me, visibly trembling. I was surprised to see how stressed he was. It turned out that the cases he was reporting involved people close to me. He asked for instructions on whether the investigations should proceed or not, because he knew these individuals were close to the President. He showed me the cases and again asked for directions. I told him to continue the investigation. It does not matter if they are my supporters or people within my inner cirlce; that is irrelevant. If there are indications of wrongdoing, the investigations must go on. In fact, anyone who is entrusted with power must be even more cautious and more disciplined – not the opposite. Being given authority and trust must not lead to arrogance or to behaving as though one can play games with the state.
Distinguished Guests,
I am astonished that even today there are still individuals who attempt to engage in wrongdoing, especially within the state apparatus. I am truly surprised because we now have digital systems and many other instruments that record everything. I am also deeply saddened. At the peak of their careers, what grieves me most is thinking about their children and their wives. As I have said before — and you may verify this with Pak Ateh at BPKP — I instructed that the legal process must continue without exception. Whoever is involved, once they hold a position in government, bears responsibility to the state and to the people. There can no longer be any exceptions.
Even within my own party, Gerindra, you can see for yourself how many have been investigated or detained. There is no special protection. On the contrary, they must set an example. It does not matter whether someone is a general or a former general; they must set an example. You were once a great fighter, now prove to the people that you can conclude your career with honor. I have to say this because when I receive reports like these, what else can I do? If I keep everything inside, people will talk, and I will carry the burden alone. If they refuse to return what they obtained illegally, then the matter must be handled by the prosecutor’s office.
So, Ladies and Gentlemen, today I would like to thank you for inviting me here. When I was young, I had heard about this incident in East Java, but I did not study it in depth. Today I finally understand that there was collusion between elements of the state apparatus and certain capitalist groups. This culture must be brought to an end. All officials, from the highest to the lowest, must devote themselves to serving the people, not oppressing them. I no longer want to hear of cases in which TNI Commander, the Police Chief, or other officials fail to uphold the law, justice, and truth. There must be no more protection of illegal activities of any kind.
Our country is blessed with great wealth, and we must safeguard that wealth to achieve the greatest possible prosperity for our people. I am determined, and I firmly believe, that we will rise in the near future. Even now, the signs are visible. Many countries are facing severe difficulties and even panic due to the war in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz has been closed, even though around twenty percent of the world’s oil and gas normally passes through that narrow corridor. This distruption also affect fertilizers, because many types of fertilizers, including urea, are produced from oil, and especially natural gas.
I have received reports from Minister of Agriculture that many nations are now asking Indonesia for fertilizer. We are not being euphoric or arrogant, but we have reached a position where we are able to extend assistance. Australia has requested our help and we are supplying 500,000 tons of urea to Australia. The Philippines has requested it, India has requested it, Bangladesh has requested it, and Brazil has requested it. My instruction is clear: we should help all of them.
Many countries are also now seeeking to purchase rice from Indonesia. Just imagine if we were not self-sufficient, if we had not moved swiftly to adddress our agricultural challenges. I extend gratitude to all parties. We are fortunate to have an excellent Minister of Agriculture, who himself is the son of a farmer. His face is deeply tanned; I suspect he rarely leaves the rice fields. Whenever I call him, he is always in one place or another in the field, constantly working. That is how it should be. He is an outstanding minister, and I thank him. His team is also excellent, and his deputy is just as hardworking. As children of farmers, they understand the realities on the ground, so they cannot be easily deceived.
I would like to express my gratitude the TNI Commander, as well as to the TNI and the police for their support. They have contributed significantly to this process and have supported the development of corn production, storage warehouses, and hundreds of MBG kitchens.
Perhaps the most encouraging development is that the police are now the most honest. In the art of leadership, when you have two subordinates, you let them compete in doing good. So, in front of the TNI Commander, I praise the police and when I meet Chief of Police, I praise the TNI. When they leave my office, they realized that this is a leadership strategy. The same applies to the ministers as well.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Why was I invited to give a speech? Once I am given a podium, I could go on speaking without an end. But the organizers are clever; they did not serve me any coffee.
Distinguished Guests,
Thank you. I am deeply grateful. And believe me, the labor community and to everyone, that my ideology is the same as that of our founders. I have learned a great deal from the teachings of Bung Karno.
So Bung Karno does not belong to just one political party; he belongs to all Indonesians. Bung Karno and Bung Hatta, and Sjahrir belong to the entire nation. They all belong to the people. And that is our strength. If we want to advance and move forward, we must draw strength from every sides. That is Indonesia’s true power.
That is why wars are raging in many parts of the world. Indonesia upholds a free and active foreign policy, guided by the principle that a thousand friends are still too few, one enemy is already too many. We show respect to everyone. On one occasion, I received Prime Minister of Fiji on an official visit at the Merdeka Palace. After the ceremony in front of the press, he entered my office and was moved to tears. He said, “Your Excellency, during my time as Prime Minister of Fiji, I have never before received such a reception’, and he had served for quite some time. “I am deeply moved, because my country is very small”- Although Fiji has a population of only about one million people, it accorded him the same respect that we give to leaders of larger countries.
That is Indonesia; we show respect. Our religious scholars and elders teach us to honor our parents, our teachers, and our guests. That is our culture. We respect guests, and we do not seek enemies. Therefore, when I became President, I affirmed that Indonesia’s foreign policy is free and active, non-aligned, and that Indonesia aspires to be a good neighbor. We want to be the good neighbor, and our guiding principle is a ‘good neighbor’ policy.
So I have strengthened our relations with Singapore. Agreements that had been stalled for more than a decade have now been resolved. We have also finalized important agreements with Vietnam. Together with former President Joko Widodo, I have completed many outstanding issues. With China, we have improved relations, and thankfully, incidents in the Natuna have now become much less frequent. With Malaysia, I am working to resolve all remaining matters. We enjoy good relations with Papua New Guinea and with Australia. We maintain good relations with Thailand, with all our neighboring countries. I do this by adhering to the principles laid down by our nation’s founding fathers.
So I know that there are still many voices saying that Indonesia will collapse, that there will be chaos, that our currency will crash; I truly do not understand their reasoning. People in our villages do not use dollars in their daily life. Our food supply is secure, our energy supply is secure. While many countries are panicking, Indonesia remains stable. We have been blessed by God with abundant resources, but we must manage them wisely. But there is one key requirement: all high-ranking officials and leaders must remain loyal to the Republic of Indonesia. Ordinary citizens are already loyal – they have no other homeland. I am speakining about leaders who, despite loudly declaring their love for the Republic, engage in morally ambiguous actions. When they gain power, they do not stand with their own nation or their own people.
I think that concludes my remarks. I still have two more events to attend today. Thank you. Next we will proceed with the signing ceremony. Before that, allow me to formally declare this event closed first.
By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, on this morning, Saturday, 16 May 2026, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, hereby inaugurate the Marsinah Museum and Shelter in Nganjuk regency, East Java province.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(RAS/EP)