Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto criticized those who opposed and questioned the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. He expressed surprise that a university professor was among the critics, suggesting that the professor's knowledge was limited to theoretical classroom studies.
"I was surprised to find a professor being cynical. Perhaps that professor should learn from cleric Adi Hidayat. Maybe he's a professor confined to a room, unaware of practical realities," Prabowo said during a speech at the Indonesia Planting Movement Program in Banyuasin, South Sumatra, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
The President emphasized that the MBG program aims to eradicate hunger among Indonesian children and address malnutrition. He asserted that approximately 25 percent, or one in four, Indonesian children suffer from malnutrition. "Perhaps three are barely surviving," he added.
Prabowo contrasted the condition of Indonesian children with those in the Middle East, who, despite living in arid conditions, are generally taller and healthier. He attributed this to effective leadership and care, reinforcing his determination to eliminate hunger in Indonesia.
Previously, Dewi Anggraeni, a researcher from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), advised the government to halt the MBG program due to its problematic implementation.
The recent controversy involving public kitchen partners and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) partner foundation in Kalibata has compounded the existing issues surrounding President Prabowo's project.
"To prevent further chaos, it is better to stop [the program] now," Dewi stated in an interview on Friday, April 18, 2025.
A public kitchen owned by Ira Mesra, a partner of the BGN foundation, was forced to cease operations after the 2025 Eid holiday due to losses amounting to Rp975.3 million.
Ira's attorney, Danna Harly Putra, attributed these losses to the non-payment of raw material and operational costs by the Berkat Media Nusantara Foundation (MBN), a BGN partner.
Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, convened both parties for mediation on Wednesday, April 16, to resolve the dispute.
Following the mediation, Dadan acknowledged that he had only recently discovered that the foundation and the kitchen partner were not a unified entity, unlike other BGN partnerships.
"However, the kitchen partner has resumed operations. The budget for the next 10 days has been transferred," Dadan reported.
He maintained that the dispute between the MBN foundation and Ira Mesra's public kitchen was an internal matter unrelated to BGN.
Separately, Media Wahyu Askar, Director of Fiscal Justice from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), argued that the Kalibata incident was merely one example of the chaos plaguing the MBG project's implementation.
He cited the MBG poisoning case, rejections in Papua, and inconsistencies in budget allocation as evidence of the project's flawed planning, particularly regarding food price determinations.
The initial budget allocation of Rp15,000 per meal was subsequently reduced to Rp10,000, and the initial implementation lacked milk in student meals. "If it must be continued, there must be a major evaluation," said Askar.
– Andi Adam Fathurrahman contributed to writing this article
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1999974/prabowo-slams-professor-skeptical-of-free-nutritious-meals-progra