Remarks of the President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Opening of the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of Central and Regional Governments, at Sentul International Convention Center, Bogor Regency, West Java Province

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
May peace and prosperity be upon us all,
Shalom,
Salve,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue,
Rahayu, rahayu.

Honorable Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka; Honorable Minister of Home Affairs, as the host of this event, Police General (Ret.) Muhammad Tito Karnavian;

Coordinating Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Agencies, the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia, the Chief of the Indonesian National Police, the Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces, the Head of the State Intelligence Agency, Special Advisors to the President, the Chair of the National Economic Council, the Chair of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Vice Ministers, Deputy Heads of Agencies, and all Members of the Red and White Cabinet in attendance;

Distinguished guests whom I respect and take pride in, all Regional Heads from across the nation who are present, including Governors and Deputy Governors, Regents and Deputy Regents, Mayors and Deputy Mayors from all regions of the Republic of Indonesia;

The Honorable Leaders of the Provincial Regional House of Representatives at regency and municipal levels, Papua House of Representatives, Aceh House of Representatives; Echelon I Officials of Ministries and Government Agencies, Commanders of the Military Regional Commands, Naval Area Commands, Air Operations Commands, Regional Chiefs of Police, Heads of Provincial Prosecutors’ Offices, and Heads of Regional Intelligence Agencies from across the country in attendance;

Distinguished Commanders of the Military Resort Commands, Naval Bases, Air Force Bases, District Military Commands, Chiefs of Regency Police, and Heads of District Prosecutors’ Offices from all parts of Indonesia;

Honorable Heads of the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) at the provincial and regency/municipal levels;

The Honorable Heads of Government Institutions at the provincial and regency/municipal levels;

Distinguished attendees, invited guests, and members of the press and media.

As people of faith, let us never cease to offer our praise and gratitude to the Almighty God. For Muslims, Allah SWT, the Creator of all universe, to Him alone we pray, and to Him alone we seek help. We are grateful for all the goodness, good health, and peace that have been granted to us. At the same time, we pray for our brothers and sisters who suffered disasters in some parts of the country. May they be blessed with support, help, and goodness.

It is an honor for me to be here on this auspicious occasion and meet with all of you who come from all corners of the country. On this occasion, allow me to deliver my highest appreciation to the Minister of Home Affairs, the host of this event. Your presences, voices, and spirits touched my heart. If your spirit is really sourced from the deepest of your heart, I believe Indonesia’s future will be bright and successful.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Many regarded Indonesia; many other countries regarded Indonesia as an “impossible nation”.
“Indonesia is an impossible nation, an impossible nation. How can so many ethnic groups, so many races, religions, be united?” They cannot comprehend how a country consisting of many ethnic groups, races, and religious beliefs, local languages can be united and chase their respective dreams in a unitary state. They cannot believe it.

Frankly speaking, as people working for the government, ranging from the central government to neighboring units, the closest unit to the people, we should understand our roles and duties as the government, the leader of the people. Our nation and society are full of good people who look for a peaceful and harmonious life. They hope to have respectable, fair, and honest leaders who work not only for certain groups but for the entire nation. They despise, in fact, leaders who lead only for their own benefit.

This is the hope of our people. Today is a good opportunity to meet with, if I could say, the 99 percent of all leaders from central and regional governments.

Distinguished Guests,

As I mentioned earlier, Indonesia is regarded as the impossible country, the impossible nation. Therefore, we should not be naïve leaders. We must become leaders with deep situational awareness. We must become leaders who understand our history and background, including the history of the entire archipelago – from Sabang to Merauke. We must learn that for hundreds of years we have been intervened in, oppressed, and even colonized by foreign countries. We must understand that. Those who forget their own history will be punished by history itself. Those who forget their own history will be trapped in the mistakes they made in the past.

Why do I need to mention that? Because on today’s occasion, we have the opportunity to learn about global current development. As we can see, big nations that used to teach us about democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the importance of preserving the environment are the ones that violate their teachings. Tens of thousands of women, elderly people, and innocent children have been massacred, and many countries remain silent. Where are human rights? Where is the democracy they preach? Therefore, Ladies and Gentlemen, as leaders, we must remain vigilant, we must understand.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The struggle of our people marked a pivotal moment at the proclamation of independence on August 17, 1945, where we gained our sovereignty through blood, sweat, and tears, as well as through continuous fighting for hundreds of years across our land. The Indonesia that we know today, that we have governed, was built upon the great sacrifices of its people. For that reason, we must always remember to devote ourselves to the people. This is easy to say, but must be proven through concrete action.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to deliver some points of note during my remarks. First, we were colonized during our history, which we have also occupied by the imperial and racist state. We were even considered lower than a dog. Yet, the youth now could not imagine the experience.

I still see inscriptions, in which one inscription I saw was dated ’78, 28 years after independence and sovereignty. There was still an inscription at the Manggarai swimming pool at the time, though sadly it may have been dismantled. Sometimes, we do not respect our own history. Historical sites are torn down; this is something regional leaders must think about. I want to ask: where is the RRI station that Bung Tomo used during the battle of November 10? Does it still exist? Where are the sites of the Majapahit kingdom? I’ve heard that some of them have already become factories, my fellow Indonesians.

In that regard, I also want to affirm that we are here today thanks to the struggle and leadership of our predecessors, the former presidents and governments. The former presidents, governments, governors, regents, and other predecessors have contributed to us now.

What I am saying is not merely a quote but something that I believe in. Therefore, I always call on all people, regardless of our differences in ethnic group, race, religion, and political views, to be one. We are part of the big family of Indonesia. We also must be grateful because our first president and his successors have made huge contributions to the life of the Indonesian nation today.

If we only care about shortcomings and mistakes, we will only see those because human ability is limited. But we should see it from a historical perspective, how Bung Karno, Bung Hatta, and our previous leaders must face treason or a coup when they were just in power. There was the Legion of Ratu Adil led by Westerling, just a couple of days to two weeks following the Indonesian national revolution. There are also attempts to kill the president, vice president, prime minister, and other leaders. Many movements emerged in just two weeks and the following days.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must realize that the concept of Indonesia is not favored by many powers in the world, and, to be frank, perhaps even by some powers that are close to us. Since our first president, we, Indonesia, and the entire world, have been in the midst of a major ideological war. It is a global major ideological war in which the world is divided into blocs; there are the communist bloc and anti-communist bloc, also known as the democratic bloc and capitalist bloc. That is the fact.

So, we, Indonesia, must realize that we are not living alone. The war in Ukraine, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has had wide-ranging impacts on us.

So, ladies and gentlemen, this is what I want to convey to all levels of the Government. We must stay vigilant and understand the global challenges.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I just returned from Europe. I met with world leaders in Davos; dozens of world leaders attended the event. Almost all world leaders are concerned about the possibility of World War III. We are facing various challenges, such as climate change that caused disasters and the like. At the international level, we are concerned about the potential of World War III.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In a simulation of World War III and nuclear war, countries that are not directly involved would also be impacted as well. Radioactive particles can contaminate our fish. There is also a possibility of the nuclear winter phenomenon when massive clouds of dust block so much sunlight and create a “winter”, which, according to the expert, could potentially last for not a year or two, but decades.

For that reason, I will continue the mandates and legacies left by our founders. I will affirm Indonesia’s commitment to free and active politics and the non-alignment principle. We will not join any military pact. My foreign philosophy is that a thousand friends are too few while one enemy is too many.

Nevertheless, we should realize implementing the non-alignment principle and global friendship, and not joining any pact, meaning that we are alone. In case of a threat or attack, we have no one to help us.

Ladies and Gentlemen, believe me that nobody is going to help us. From the beginning, Bung Karno said that we must stand on our own feet. Also, our first Commander-in-Chief Soedirman, taught us that we must believe in our own strength.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With all due respect to all excellent experts who are recognized for holding an exceptionally high number of academic degrees, today’s world is not ideal, but this is the reality. I always remind and teach everyone that the world today goes on the principle that the strong will do what they want, and the weak will suffer. This is what we have witnessed today, everywhere.

So, people, it is our task as the President, who was sworn to deliver the people’s trust, to maintain this nation and its people. It is easy to say but hard to implement. Sometimes we get emotional, but we must always put a smile on our face since we had promised from the beginning, had promised to be kind to everyone and to protect the people.

We cannot be emotional; we cannot be too idealistic because we are facing the real world. We don’t want war, but we must be prepared for war. We don’t want to warn others, but they always provoke us. Why? It is because Indonesia, the Nusantara, along with all islands contained in it, have enourmous natural resources. This is the reason why European countries colonized us hundreds of years ago, including the Dutch, Portuguese, French, English, Japanese, and Mongols. They came here not for a vacation. They came here to trade. Since the nature of our people is kind and friendly. We treated our guest right, didn’t we? We accept guests regardless of their ethnic groups. Though our lacks in economy, we still accept guests with good intentions. Even if we only had rice and salt, we would provide food to the guests.

The current President of Singapore once told me that he and his wife travelled as backpackers around South Sulawesi when they were young. They hitchhiked a bus, and one day they got lost in the middle of rice paddy fields in heavy rain. They then met a kid, and they took them to the parents’ home. I think in South Sulawesi, a hamlet only consisted of only three houses.

The President told me that he cannot forget the kindness of the Indonesian people. “We were told to sit with them, though they were very poor and only had rice and bananas for meals”.

A father, a mother, two kids, and two guests only had one big bowl of rice and bananas. The food was distributed first to the guests. This is the nature of our nation.

I also had a similar experience when I was a young soldier. They gave me food even though they were very poor. That is the story of the President of Singapore 30 years ago. Now, many of our people still survive by eating rice and cassava leaves or even rice and salt.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We must put the highest respect to our predecessors, yet we must recognize that Indonesia still faces immense challenges. We’re still confronting challenges and shortcomings. We are aware that many of our people continue to experience hardships.

Nowadays, economists introduced categories decile 1, decile 2, decile 3, decile 4, and so on. Sometimes, we don’t want to admit those who fall into the ‘poor’ category. That is why we called them pre-prosperous/underprivileged instead. We don’t have the heart to call them poor. So, it is pre-prosperous. There is another word for that in English: the aspiring middle class. Those who aspire to be included in the middle class. They are aspiring to be, but it has yet to be realized, correct? That means they are not included in the middle class yet, but are aspiring middle class. The BPS is good at finding the term. I understand that you don’t want to lower the confidence of our nation. After the aspiring middle class, the next category is vulnerable at risk of poverty. What comes next? After being vulnerable at risk of poverty, the poor are the next category, followed by the extremely poor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have to work together, all of us, regardless of our positions, backgrounds, and political affiliations, must unite. We must join hands to eradicate poverty from Indonesia. We should not give up. We must not be afraid of our hardships. We must not dare to say “Can I do this?” There is a certain group of people who always doubt our ability. I am questioning myself, are they really Indonesians or of other nationalities? Press and media, are you still here? It is just the beginning; there are many things I want to tell.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We should not give up before the match. You might think the poverty rate in Indonesia is high. It is, but we also have abundant resources. Very rich in resources. Truthfully, we must address that leaders at all levels, and the elites who are leaders in academics, such as professors, elites in politics, defense and police institutions, and elites in the judiciary in Indonesia, still lack the determination to preserve and maintain Indonesia’s vast natural resources.

Now, I call on all of us, as leaders, to strengthen our resolve from this moment on and to reform ourselves, our institutions, our surroundings, and our circles. Let us commit to safeguarding, protecting, and managing our natural resources for the greatest benefit of our people.

I call on all of us to unite. Let us all join our hands. No matter your political affiliation, do not make a separation. We learn from history that conflict, fight, and mistakes should be buried. If we want to make it complicated, we can continue to bring up the old mistakes you made. Two hundred years ago, your great-great-grandparents stole my family’s cow. Should we carry on that conflict? Should we carry it on for another 200-300 years? It’s useless because the world grows rapidly.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the second part of my remarks, I will say something only to the intern. Press and media, please have lunch outside this room. I will tell them interesting stories.

Anyway, you should think that you were elected and work for all Indonesian people. I would not ask about your affiliation or your choice during the presidential election. I lost in West Sumatra, but the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program still reached the province. I also lost in Aceh, but the Government still developed the region. Is that correct? I don’t take it personally. Winning and losing are normal, as we remain devoted to the nation and the Indonesian people.

I did not ask, “Pak. Bursah, which party are you affiliated with? I did not ask that, but I still support him. Your wife is from the Gerindra Party, right? But I did not hear him. His wife happens to be from Gerindra, but none of it is my business. Even if someone is coming from the Gerindra Party but does bad things, I will ask for their arrest. Don’t you dare. I would not play favorites. We will move in unity. Rivalry is only natural in a match. In an election, there are two, three, or five candidates. But once the political process concludes, all parties must reunite to serve the people. I call for this action. Let us work for the people. For instance, Pak Pram is from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), but I still supported him as the Governor of Jakarta because it is my duty to serve all people of Indonesia, including residents of Jakarta. Even though the governor came from a different party, I will support and pray so that Jakarta is safe and sound. Whatever shall happen in 2029, let it be. Everything is fine.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to explain that what I am doing right now is what I have promised during the election, namely, something that I have been learning for decades. I learn so much about domestic and foreign affairs. I travelled a lot. I have many allies. Every time I visit a country, though not as the leader, I ask the leader how they fight corruption. I asked Mahathir how he eradicated corruption when he was in power. I asked him, “Sir, what really troubles me as an Indonesian patriot is the amount of corruption in Indonesia. How do you handle corruption?”

He gave a lesson, and he gave his tips. He said, “You can overcome corruption only through education. Education is vital.”

After that, I met leaders in Thailand and asked them. I met leaders everywhere.

Therefore, I made a strategy and wrote it in a book titled Strategi Transformasi Bangsa/ the National Transformation Strategies. We want to become a developed and modern country. Our goal is to become a developed, modern country where all of its people live in great wellbeing. We are not dreaming of becoming a high-income country or living a life like in Norway or Canada. We only want our people to have improved welfare, always enough food, and good health. We must ensure the health of our people, education of our children. Have enough income. This is the strategy that we have formulated, which I call the 8 Missions of Asta Cita, the 17 Priority Programs, and the Fast Best-Outcome Programs.

My Fellow Indonesians,

From that, if I may summarize it more simply, our first foundation, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, is that we must achieve food self-sufficiency. Food self-sufficiency. There is no alternative. If we want to be independent, if we want to be prosperous, we must guarantee food production so that food can be enjoyed by all our people. Food self-sufficiency is a prerequisite; it is the main pillar of the strategy that I propose and that I am implementing now. I invite you to move together as patriots of the nation. But if you do not want to join me, I will keep moving forward because I am determined that Indonesia must be able to achieve true independence.

Then, energy self-sufficiency. This is also a must. Later, there will be groups who ask, “Is it possible?” Yes, it is possible. We have calculated it. We have extraordinary advantages. Why palm oil? For me, it is a miracle crop. It is a miracle crop. There are cynical groups who say, “Why palm oil? Is Prabowo trying to turn everything into palm oil?” Yes, for the Indonesian people. Palm oil is not only for cooking oil.

While I travelled the world, almost all world leaders asked me, “Please, Indonesia supplies palm oil (CPO) to us.” I went to Eqypt, Pakistan, Russia, Belarus, everywhere they were saying, “Please supply palm oil.” It means that it is a very strategic commodity. Because from palm oil, we can have dozens of derivatives. Wall paint requires palm oil, bread must use palm oil and so on. Soap, how many billions of people in the world have to bathe every day? Except for the lazy ones. Sometimes commandos only bathe once every two weeks, but they’re not allowed to bathe in the jungle.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The more important thing about palm oil is that we can produce diesel. So, our biodiesel will free us from external dependence. Those who want to continue using gasoline, go ahead. The rich can pay global prices, but our people can live on diesel. Aircrafts require aviation turbine fuel (avtur). We will become the world’s largest producer of avtur. Even, palm oil waste like used cooking oil can be used for avtur. So, I’m sorry, I’m banning the export of palm oil waste and used cooking oil. We must prioritize our people first.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have to achieve energy and food self-sufficiency. We also have to stop the flow of money from villages to cities, to the capital city, and abroad. We have to move it backwards otherwise, including through the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. Our children must have enough to eat. Alhamdulilah, last night I got report from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) that as of today, we have reached 60 million beneficiaries—60 million in one year and four to five months.

No one expected us to be capable, no one expected it. Many even predicted it to fail. Thousands of people have been poisoned but even at the most expensive restaurant in Jakarta, there are people who have been poisoned. If we add up how many thousands have been poisoned compared to the billions of meals we’ve distributed, the statistics are 0.008 or [0.007]. What does it mean? This means that 99.99% of the MBG program must be declared successful. I just don’t get it. Perhaps, those people see me as their political opponents, so everything I do must get criticized and vilified. This is our effort to explain it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, yesterday, the experts from the White House were studying our MBG program. In addition, three or four months ago, a group from the Rockefeller Institute came to me and said that MBG program is the best investment a country can do. Every dollar or rupiah we spend on Nutritious Meals will multiply at least fivefold, and in the long term, it will be 35 times of the investment. Ladies and Gentlemen, our smart people tend to trust foreigners more than their own people. So, just check with the Rockefeller Institute, because they won’t believe it. I don’t understand these people, I don’t know what they think, but we still have to talk to them.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Perhaps in two or three weeks, If I speak here, I have to be responsible. Media is covering me, and there are many others waiting. They are waiting for the blunder that I possibly make while speaking. Mr. Minister of Health, you can verify this. This is being recorded. I’m surprised that the Secretary of Health from the United States wants to meet with me to ask about the MBG.

The MBG has reached 60 million (beneficiaries) today. It will reach 82 million by December 2026, at the latest. With the current situation, today, there have been 22,275 operational kitchens for BMG, while 13,829 (kitchens) are in the assessment and submission process. Through the 22,000 kitchens, around 1 million jobs are created. A total of 22,000 x 50 people are paid daily. We have already created 1 million jobs. And, those 22,000 kitchens need suppliers: suppliers of tomatoes, carrots, vegetables, eggs, fish, chicken, meat, and so on, in each village. Each kitchen can have up to 10, even 20 suppliers. If later we reach 82 million (beneficiaries), we will create three to five million jobs, Ladies and Gentlemen. We all know that our people need jobs, but if we only shout out, criticize, and scold, jobs have never been created. I’ve proven it to you, that I, Prabowo Subianto, as President of Indonesia, have created 1 million jobs, just from MBG.

And there are accusations aimed at defaming us as a nation. If you don’t like two or three people, don’t destroy the entire nation. If you don’t like Prabowo, go ahead and fight in 2029, okay? A little issue always triggers a rally. But I know that such people actually do not want a mere rally, but they expect riots, and riots harm the nation, Ladies and Gentlemen. Riots harm the nation, such as burnings and Molotov cocktails. It is criminal. I have no doubt. Protests are fine, but if there are 5,000 rallies, not a single factory will open. So, whether or not these groups are aware of it, I’m sure they’re controlled by foreign powers, I’m sure and I have proof of it. And I urge them, “Hey! Hey, Indonesian citizens! Don’t you feel sorry for your people?”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’ve already presented our achievements and they are real, not mere rumors. We have established a sovereign wealth fund. I’ve gathered all the state’s resources under one management; a single management worth one trillion US dollars, or a total of 1,040 billion dollars in assets under (one) management. Ladies and Gentlemen, it was previously scattered across a thousand, around 1,040 companies. Can you imagine? Who can manage a thousand companies? This is trickery.

I told the former CEOs of state-owned enterprises that they had to be held accountable. Don’t stay in your comfort zone, be prepared to get summoned by the Attorney General’s Office. They mocked me, saying Prabowo can only speak from the podium, is it? Just wait until you are summoned, don’t challenge me. I’m only afraid of the Indonesian people and God Almighty. That’s all I fear, and that’s what we all should be.

Ladies and Gentlemen, come on, we’ll all be died soon or later, but death is not about seniority. It’s not certain that I’ll be died first; it could be the young ones over there, right?

So, it’s better to do good deed, it’s better to defend the people, it’s more noble. Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel sorry for a figure or friend or anyone handcuffed wearing an orange shirt. Orange, right? Wearing an orange shirt. Poor their wife and children. Come on, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a digital era, don’t play dirty.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I said earlier that we’ve reached 60 million beneficiaries every day. We deliver food to pregnant women. Just ask around the world, we’re now role models; many want to study us. We deliver food to pregnant women, to the elderly, to elderly people living alone. Tell me which countries do likewise. Some of you might believe it, and I am also surprised to see the White House studying our Nutritious Food Program.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have produced a total of 3 billion meals, [I repeat] 3.7 billion. If it reaches 82 million beneficiaries, we will mathematically achieve a minimum of 17 billion meals produced.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Seventy million of our people have received the free health check-up program, the first time in history, and the results we’ve found are quite challenging.

In a few months, we will establish at least 28,000 cooperatives in every village. These cooperatives will operate with warehouses, cold storage, and two trucks each. There will be no unsold harvest. Previously, we had to wait for buyers—middlemen, intermediaries—but now, cooperatives can deliver their own harvests. If they can’t sell them, they store them in their own warehouses.

We will create fishing villages and fisheries projects so our people can access fresh fish, protein that’s perhaps half the price of meat. Every Indonesian family should eat protein every day. That’s the dream of Indonesian Government, and my own dream.

And, you can see other results: 282,180 schools have received Interactive Flat Panels (IFP). This year, almost all schools, including the outermost, remote, and underdeveloped ones, have received them. On remote islands and in the highest mountains, they already have interactive panels.

Last time in Aceh and some areas, some IFPs were damaged by flooding; we will fix them immediately. This year, we will complete them; we hope this will be enough for one classroom per school. This year, I expect each school to receive at least two more, at the very least, so that there will be three classrooms having it, hopefully four classrooms. By the end of 2028-2029, every classroom across Indonesia will have an Interactive Digital Panel.

What does it mean? Teachers can teach from Jakarta. Schools with shortages of math teachers, English teachers, physics teachers, and biology teachers can receive teachings from the interactive center. I’ll be able to see the classrooms and whether or not they have teachers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have just achieved the highest production in history of our rice reserves at state-owned logistics agency (Bulog). As a result of our investments, around 2.7 million new jobs have been created.

We are also now creating innovations rarely seen in the world. We are sending children from the most disadvantaged groups to boarding schools. We are taking them out of poverty and providing the best education. We give education to children who couldn’t attend school, and we will continue to do so. There should be no children on the streets who are not in school; we will support them all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of our most strategic programs is the Fishermen’s Village Program. We will modernize 12 million fishing villages. We will build a jetty, a small pier, in each fishing village. We will also provide an ice factory, cold storage, and support fishing vessels. We will provide several 5 GT fishing vessels, and we hope that each village will receive one for larger 30 GT fishing vessels. What does it mean? Our fishermen can stay at sea longer, their incomes have increased, and we already have a pilot project in Biak that has been proven to increase farmers’ yields by almost 60 percent.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Those are some of our work results that I could present to you. There are many more, but those are the highlights. We have come a long way. The most strategic one, I think, will be Danantara. Now, we don’t go abroad begging for investment. We invite and we have the capacity now.

So, I have just conveyed the main points. What we must start and implement this year is downstreaming. There are 18 priority downstream projects for 2026: aluminum smelter industry, stainless steel slab industry, oleoresin industry, tilapia fillet industry, integrated solar module industry, coal gasification industry, industry of copper rod, wire, and tube, oleofood industry (palm oil), carrageenan industry (seaweed), bioavtur industry (from used cooking oil), asphalt industry, steel industry, nata de coco industry, MCT, and coconut flour (from coconuts)—we will build an oil refinery, we can’t just send oil from the refinery and then import it again, right?—manganese sulfate industry, chemical grade industry, chlorine alkali plant industry, and oil storage tanks. These eighteen projects will create 276,000 quality jobs with an investment of Rp618 trillion. We will start this year.

However, I want to convey to the regional heads that the nation’s current problem, one of the most crucial, is waste. It is projected that almost all landfills will be over capacity by 2028, or even sooner.

Therefore, this year we will start 34 waste-to-energy development projects in 34 cities. I have ordered for the groundbreaking to take place within the next few months, and it is estimated to be operational in two years. This is a large investment, totaling nearly US$3.5 billion for 34 locations. However, after observing several regencies, I think this project should be started as well in cities/regencies. Several regents have already introduced this initiative; we are currently studying this, perhaps we can exchange experiences.

It requires cooperation between central and regional Governments to solve this waste issue. We cannot wait. When it comes to the people’s interests, if necessary, the Central Government will take the lead.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I want to now discuss an important issue as well. One of them is waste everywhere. This has to be solved. This can’t be done with insults, shouting, or mockery, right? Instead, this has to be done with good work. This is reality.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One thing we understand is that these groups always say, “We need jobs, we need jobs, there is a gap between the rich and the poor.” We understand about this issue and we are coping with it.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One of the solutions is tourism. Tourism generates the most jobs, and it’s quickest and cheapest to set up than others. But let me ask you, Ladies and Gentlemen. Would a tourist want to come and see trash? Indeed, Indonesia is beautiful, but would they want to see slums?

They want to go to Bali but Bali’s beaches are dirty. In Korea, I met prominent figures—ministers, generals, sometimes even soldiers—wherever they were, without any politeness, they spoke matter-of-factly, asking me, “Your excellency! I just came back from Bali. Bali is so dirty now, Bali isn’t nice.” Wow, but I accept that as a correction.

We have to address this issue together. Actually, I’ve already qualified as a senior citizen, so wearing a glass is fine.

Well, I’m so sorry Governor and Regents from Bali but this is real. This is Bali’s beach. How can tourists come there and see trash?

Governor [and] Regent, high schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools are under your control. Can’t you instruct them to gather at the beach on Fridays or Saturdays? This is our beach, this is our yard, let’s clean it together. Do Korve (joint clean-up operation). What’s wrong with that?

If I can’t order the Regent and Governor, I command you, Military District Commanders (Dandim), Military Region Commanders (Danrem), to mobilize your subordinates. Do Korve every day or every few days. Korve, Korve, Korve. The Police do Korve, Korve, Korve. The Danantara and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) with thousands of staff do Korve.

I don’t want to see plastic or trash around SOEs offices. All ministers, ministries/agencies should clean your surroundings for at least half an hour before entering the office, okay? Don’t say yes, yes, yes Sir. Do this at least half an hour in the morning before office hours start. If necessary, let the minister take the lead. This applies to all ministries/agencies, all offices.

We must now declare war on waste. What do you think, Regent, Mayor? This is for our people. Waste is a disaster. Waste is a disease. We will act. We will support you, Ladies and Gentlemen. We will start these 34 projects immediately. Once we have the money, we will allocate it here too. How can we expect our tourism to improve if our environment is dirty and filthy?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the near future, I actually want to launch Gerakan Indonesia (Indonesian Movement) ASRI (Aman-Safe, Sehat-Healthy, Resik-Clean, Indah-Beautiful). What does “Resik” mean? It means clean, orderly, and so on. This is just a name, but in reality, all Government institutions must lead the Korve. It’s okay for the schoolchildren to take time for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or half an hour in the morning. If there are hundreds or thousands do so, the work will finish faster. What is the equipment? They could use carts, garbage trucks, and so on.

Then, for the word “Indah (Beautiful)”. Ladies and Gentlemen, all cities, all districts, almost all of our villages now use too many zinc roof tiles. Zinc tile is hot for the residents. This zinc also rusts. So, Indonesia can’t be beautiful if all roof tiles are made of zinc. What is aluminum industry originated in the first place? Sorry, just produce something else.

I want all roofs in Indonesia to be made of tiles. So, this will be a movement, a project to roof tile the entire country. The equipment for roof tiles and roof tile factories is expensive. So, we will equip the Red and White cooperatives with roof tile factories. Roof tiles are made from soil, mixed with other waste materials, either light or strong. I received reports from our professors that coal waste, ash from coal, mixed with soil, makes good roof tile material.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, we will help you. That’s (showing a picture of a house roof tile) before and after roof tile installation. I am serious. Regents and Mayors who don’t want your cities to be beautiful, it’s up to you. But you want to, let’s work together to make your city beautiful, your district beautiful, your village beautiful. Okay?

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This may not be written in the textbooks, but if we remember our grandmothers and grandfathers, they used thatch roof, palm fiber, or sirak, right? Or, they used natural materials, so it was cool and fresh. My mother’s village in Minahasa used to use thatch, so it was cool. Now every house uses zinc roof.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is very important. Why would a tourist from abroad come to see rusty zinc? Rust is a symbol of degeneration. I hope that in two or three years, Indonesia will no longer look rusty. Rust is a symbol of degeneration, not revival. Indonesia must rise, Indonesia must be strong, Indonesia must be beautiful, and our people must be happy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me finish this briefing for the first session because it’s time for lunch break. I’ll return later to give some briefings, specifically for Government officials. Thank you, I’ll take a break now. How long have I been talking? Is it two hours? The second session won’t be two hours, hopefully. I’ll try to take another hour. We’re taking a break now, having lunch break and prayer time, we can rest. Minister of Home Affairs, please set this all up. Mr. Minister, where are you?

Well, I’ll officially open it soon.

Moreover, this is also part of the ASRI Indonesia program. I have been asking the heads of Government to regulate the excessive number of advertisements and banners. When I go to Balikpapan and Banjarmasin, it’s almost the same: banners, banners, banners everywhere. When I go to Hambalang, it’s banners, banners, banners everywhere. A banner of fried chicken, buy one get one free. Why do they have to be so big? Tourists come and they don’t want to see banners. Bogor used to be the most beautiful city, the most beautiful city. Bung Karno preferred Bogor to Jakarta. I’ve always wanted to live in Bogor. So, after I become a President, I live in Bogor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are too many banners, billboards, and advertisements. Please, sort them out. Talk to businesspeople from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi), business associations, talk to them. Don’t make your ads too flashy. People who come to Bali want to see Bali, they don’t want to see big Kentucky Fried Chickens or McDonald’s ads. Please regulate the main roads, okay? Talk to them politely. If you want to open a repair shop, open one, but with a nice front view. This is for all of us. Electrical cables are also everywhere.

Okay, thank you. Let’s take a break.

By saying bismillahirahmanirrahim, this morning, Monday, February 2, 2026, I, Prabowo Subianto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, declare the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments officially open.

Thank you. See you in the second session.

End.

(RAS&JAS/MUR)