‘We will serve all Indonesians’: New president Prabowo takes office, pledging to improve lives across nation

JAKARTA - Mr Prabowo Subianto took office as Indonesia’s eighth president on Oct 20, promising to improve the lives of his fellow citizens across the archipelago.

In a wide-ranging inaugural speech after his swearing-in ceremony at the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) in Jakarta, Mr Prabowo said 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 said.

Many people still live with difficulties in the country, said Mr Prabowo, adding that his administration will work to improve the lives of Indonesians across South-east Asia’s largest economy.

The former defence minister takes over from Mr Joko Widodo,

whose son Gibran, 37, was fielded as Mr 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, Mr 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 Mr 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

and Mrs Wong, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. Other guests included South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng. The delegation from the United States was led by US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

In the afternoon, PM Wong met Mr Prabowo at the presidential palace. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a media statement that during the meeting, PM Wong congratulated Mr Prabowo on his inauguration and on having a strong mandate.

It added that PM Wong looks forward to deepening bilateral cooperation as Indonesia embarks on a new phase in its development under Mr Prabowo’s leadership. “As a friend and neighbour, Singapore is ready to partner Indonesia, both bilaterally and regionally,” MFA said.

The two leaders also discussed common challenges facing Singapore and Indonesia, and how both countries can act together to boost resilience and shared prosperity.

PM Wong also wrote a congratulatory letter to Mr Prabowo and a valedictory letter to Mr Widodo on Oct 20.

In his letter to Mr Prabowo, PM Wong said he looked forward to expanding collaboration between Singapore and Indonesia, highlighting how the future will require closer international 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,” said PM Wong.

In the letter to Mr Widodo, PM Wong said Indonesia has made tremendous progress under the former president’s “visionary and steady leadership”.

Noting how both Singapore and Indonesia have cooperated well on the international stage, PM Wong said Indonesia’s Group of 20 presidency in 2022 and its Asean chairmanship in 2023 positioned the country as a trusted advocate for consensus building and constructive dialogue.

He added that he was grateful for Mr Widodo’s unwavering support for bilateral relations between the two countries.

Posters and banners across Jakarta featured messages supporting Mr Prabowo and Mr Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi. They read: “Thank you, Jokowi. All the best, Prabowo Gibran.”

Mr Prabowo was elected on Feb 14 with more than 58 per cent of the vote.

It was his third attempt at becoming president, after running against Mr Widodo in 2014 and 2019.

Mr Prabowo defeated two other candidates, former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan.

The inauguration was also attended by former Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Another former president, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, sent her daughter and party executive Puan Maharani as her representative, as she could not attend due to a cold. 

Even before taking up the top post, Mr 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 in Indonesia and address the problem of stunting by providing free meals to all children and pregnant mothers.

“Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty line. Too many of our children go to school without breakfast,” Mr Prabowo said in his inaugural speech as president.

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.

He has 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 said during his speech.

In the evening, Mr 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.