Prabowo demands military, police and bureaucrats introspect

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto issued a stern demand for institutional self-reflection on Friday, ordering the nation's civil bureaucracy, military, police, and prosecutors to eliminate corruption and realign themselves as public servants.

The president’s highly charged address took place during the inauguration of five regional infrastructure projects centered at the Meninting Dam in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

"I ask that we introspect, especially the bureaucrats. Military and police officials, introspect,” Prabowo warned.

Striking a fiercely populist tone, Prabowo reminded top officials that their power and privileges are entirely funded by Indonesian taxpayers.

"You belong to the people, your star is from the people, your shoes are from the people, your hat is from the people. Never forget that. The same goes for the prosecutor's office. You also belong to the people," the head of state emphasized.

He further demanded that officials across all government ministries and state institutions actively improve their integrity and refrain from defying the public's clear mandate for a clean administration free from fraudulent practices.

"I do not want to look back, but I ask you to improve yourselves and self-reflect. Do not go against the will of the people. The people do not want corruption to be tolerated; the people do not want fraud to continue,” he noted.

According to Prabowo, the government’s recent achievements have faced pushback from certain groups that he characterized as corrupt.

Despite this resistance, he stressed that high-level anti-corruption law enforcement must continue impartially and strictly follow legal procedures.

"Sometimes I feel the same way when I face corrupt thieves, but it must be done according to legal procedures. We will uphold the law, and the law is for everyone—not just the powerful, not just the rich," the President asserted.

The head of state's firm remarks follow recent high-profile law enforcement actions in Jakarta involving alleged corruption and money laundering allegedly linked to the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), Febrie Adriansyah.

The investigation has triggered deep institutional friction between the National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Tensions escalated after Polri's anti-corruption unit conducted extensive raids at multiple locations connected to the senior prosecutor.

The raids were carried out as part of broader investigations into severe financial corruption cases, including the PT Asabri pension fund scandal, Krakatau Steel, and state electricity supply lines—resulting in the seizure of significant cash and gold assets.

Following the police operations, dozens of armed TNI soldiers were deployed to guard the prosecutor's private residence in South Jakarta, sparking public speculation regarding an inter-agency standoff.

However, TNI Headquarters formally clarified that the troop deployment was a routine response to an official security assistance request from the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

The military noted that the security detail is legally authorized under Presidential Regulation No. 66/2025 to protect state prosecutors handling high-risk cases.

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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Rahmad Nasution

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