President Prabowo Subianto affirmed his commitment to strictly penalizing rule violators regardless of personal ties during his speech at the Harvest Festival in Karawang. He refused to view a list of offending companies to maintain objectivity and urged ministers to brace for criticism. Prabowo also criticized elites who frequently mock government achievements.
President Prabowo Subianto delivered a speech at the Harvest Festival and Food Self-Sufficiency Announcement event in Karawang, West Java, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Addressing the Merah Putih Cabinet, he discussed a list of dozens of companies violating regulations and at risk of losing business licenses.
Prabowo deliberately refused to view the owners' names to avoid personal biases. "I don't want to look at it. Because I'm afraid my friends are in there. It's uncomfortable, I might get influenced. As soon as I see the list, oh, it's a friend," he said, as quoted from the speech. He entrusted full enforcement to law enforcement authorities, including the Attorney General, and suggested directing criticism toward them if licenses are revoked.
He also reminded ministers that their positions invite scrutiny. "Indeed, you ministers, you were appointed to be hated," Prabowo stated. In his view, violations must be addressed firmly in line with Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, without unnecessary interpretations.
Additionally, Prabowo criticized certain elites who often mock, hurl abuse, and snipe at national successes. "There are our elites, some whose job is just to mock, hate, slander, nyinyir. No appreciation for Indonesia's achievements," he said. He deemed their behavior indicative of odd mental health and suspected they excel only on social media, possibly paid by irresponsible parties. Prabowo urged his team to focus on serving the people, ignoring such negativity.
The speech underscores the government's resolve to uphold the rule of law amid integrity challenges.
