‘We will serve all Indonesians’: New President Prabowo pledges to improve lives across nation
As a friend and neighbour, Singapore is ready to partner Indonesia, both bilaterally and regionally, says Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
PRABOWO Subianto took office as Indonesia’s eighth president on Sunday (Oct 20), promising to improve the lives of his fellow citizens across the archipelago.
In a speech after his swearing-in ceremony in Jakarta, Prabowo said that he and his Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka will serve all Indonesians. “With a full sense of responsibility and with all the strength in our souls and bodies, we will carry out the leadership of Indonesia... by prioritising the interests of all Indonesian people, including those who did not vote for us,” he noted.
Many people still live with difficulties, pointed out Prabowo, adding that his administration will work to improve the lives of Indonesians across South-east Asia’s largest economy.
High hopes
The former defence minister takes over from Joko Widodo, whose son Gibran, 37, was fielded as Prabowo’s running mate in the Feb 14 election and was sworn in as vice-president at the same ceremony. Hopes are high that the transition will usher in another period of political stability, and continue to raise the archipelago’s standing on the world stage.
Clad in a blue traditional Javanese outfit, Prabowo, 73, recited his oath of office with a copy of the Quran held over his head. “By God, I swear to carry out my duties as President of the Republic of Indonesia as best and as justly as I can, upholding the Constitution, the laws and the regulations of the republic,” he said.
He then embraced Widodo, 63, and both men exchanged seats at the front of the hall to applause from the attendees. In the audience were Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.
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Other guests included South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng. The US delegation was led by US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Posters and banners across Jakarta featured messages supporting Prabowo and Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi. They read: “Thank you, Jokowi. All the best, Prabowo Gibran.”
Prabowo was elected on Feb 14 with over 58 per cent of the vote. It was his third attempt at becoming president, after running against Widodo in 2014 and 2019. He defeated two other candidates, former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.
Even before taking up the top post, Prabowo had already begun work on a free lunch programme that was a key plank of his campaign. The plan, for which the government has set aside 71 trillion rupiah (S$6 billion), aims to help the poorest communities and to address the problem of stunting by providing free meals for all children and pregnant mothers.
He has also set an ambitious target for economic growth to hit 8 per cent annually, up from a current rate of 5 per cent.
Prabowo has also signalled that he wants Indonesia to play a more active role on the global stage. “There is a saying: ‘A thousand friends are too few, one enemy is too many.’ We want to be a best friend of all nations,” he added during his speech.
In the evening, Prabowo hosted a state dinner for guests at the presidential palace. He later announced his Cabinet line-up, which featured a mix of politicians, professionals and business managers.
“Significant potential”
PM Wong, who is in Indonesia for a two-day visit that ends on Monday, called on Prabowo at the Istana Merdeka on Sunday afternoon before attending a state dinner reception in the evening.
A statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that PM Wong congratulated Prabowo on his inauguration and strong mandate, and that he looked forward to deepening bilateral cooperation. “As a friend and neighbour, Singapore is ready to partner Indonesia, both bilaterally and regionally,” the statement added.
In a separate congratulatory letter to Prabowo, PM Wong said that there is “significant potential” for their two countries to work together in many areas and seek win-win outcomes for both sides. He noted that Singapore and Indonesia enjoy a close economic partnership with significant trade, investment and tourism flows. The defence relationship has also deepened with the Defence Cooperation Agreement already entered into force.
“In recent years, we started on renewable energy and sustainability, food security, human capital development and healthcare, and I hope that we can take our cooperation to the next level,” wrote PM Wong. “The challenges and opportunities of the future will require closer international collaboration and coordination. Singapore and Indonesia also have a shared interest in safeguarding regional peace and prosperity, and promoting a rules-based order. Indonesia will continue to play a key role as a leader and trusted partner for constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in today’s increasingly fragmented world.”
PM Wong also penned a letter to Widodo, noting that Indonesia has made “tremendous progress” under the latter’s “visionary and steady leadership”.
PM Wong pointed out that Widodo has overseen a decade of “remarkable stability and solid economic growth”, adding: “I am grateful for your unwavering support for our bilateral relations during your tenure. Your leadership paved the way for both countries to address longstanding issues, especially on airspace, defence cooperation and extradition. This has given us a strong foundation to embark on new areas of cooperation that will position Singapore and Indonesia well for the future.”
The Singapore leader said that Indonesia continues to be an “attractive destination” for Singapore businesses to invest and grow. “We hope to build on our close people-to-people and cultural ties to deepen mutual trust and understanding.”
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