Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has indirectly criticized those who have mocked and belittled his administration's Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, accusing them of focusing only on its shortcomings rather than its impact.
"Some people who think of themselves as the smartest in Indonesia always mock and ridicule this program," Prabowo said during the inauguration of new students and the graduation ceremony at Universitas Kebangsaan Republik Indonesia (UKRI), held at the Trans Convention Center in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday, October 18, 2025. The event was streamed live on UKRI TV's YouTube channel.
The president admitted that the implementation of MBG is not flawless, acknowledging reports of food poisoning among schoolchildren.
"There are around 8,000 children, or about 0.0007 to 0.0008 percent, suspected of food poisoning. Yet that small number is being exaggerated, as if the entire program should be stopped," he said.
Prabowo emphasized that despite the challenges, the program has reached 36.2 million beneficiaries, claiming that this figure is equivalent to "feeding the population of Singapore seven times over."
He noted that approximately 12,000 kitchens are involved in preparing the meals, each employing around 50 people, while every kitchen works with 15 village-based food suppliers. "Each supplier, in turn, employs between five and ten farm workers," Prabowo explained.
According to him, the MBG initiative has also drawn international attention. He mentioned that representatives from the Rockefeller Institute visited him last week, noting global interest in Indonesia's program.
"When we started MBG, only 77 countries had implemented similar programs. We were probably the 78th or 79th. Now there are 112 countries, and most are following Indonesia's example," he said.
However, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) reported a total of 11,566 cases of food poisoning linked to the MBG program as of October 12, 2025.
The highest number of cases was recorded in West Java (4,125), followed by Central Java (1,666), Yogyakarta (1,053), East Java (950), and East Nusa Tenggara (800).
JPPI National Coordinator Ubaid Matraji said the figures were compiled from reports spanning January to October 2025, urging the government to strengthen supervision and food safety standards in the program's distribution network.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2058349/prabowo-slams-smart-people-mocking-his-free-nutritious-meal-progra