Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto removed on Tuesday National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Dadan Hindayana, ending almost two years of struggles in running a nationwide free meal program that has been blighted by mass food poisonings and allegations of budget misuse.
The much-hyped billion-dollar scheme was the flagship policy of Prabowo's 2024 election campaign.
The government says it has provided meals to more than 61 million people by March, but tens of thousands of people have fallen ill since the program was launched in January last year.
Just days before his removal, Dadan had proposed expanding the free meal program to Saudi Arabia, following his recent visit to the country.
"The President has decided to make changes to the leadership of the National Nutrition Agency," State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi told reporters at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta, citing food quality among various concerns behind the move.
Critics have called for the program to be suspended over hygiene concerns and accusations of corruption.
"The government will continue to ensure that throughout the ongoing evaluation process, all programs of the National Nutrition Agency will continue to run as they should," Prasetyo said.
Dadan, an entomologist who led the agency since its inception, was appointed as BGN head by former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the end of his tenure, as a form of support for his incoming successor Prabowo. He is now replaced by his deputy, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, a close aide of Prabowo.
Last month, antigraft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) filed a complaint against Dadan citing alleged budget irregularities.
Prabowo has acknowledged problems and vowed to discipline anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.
Dadan told the House of Representatives last year the program was responsible for at least 11,000 poisoning cases, with over 600 people hospitalized.
The IPB University professor visited the Indonesian School in Jeddah (SIJ) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after he performed haj in Mecca, following the invitations from students and school officials. After the visit, he said that he was conducting a feasibility study to provide free meals to about 1,000 students at the school.
Dadan, who had traveled to perform haj with his wife at their own expense, had to cut their trip short after he was ordered to accompany Prabowo to visit state secondary school SMPN 111 in Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Tuesday morning.
Although the free meal program has been plagued by problems, the announcement of his removal later in the evening still came as a surprise. The government has given no explanation for his abrupt dismissal.
More than 20 percent of children in Indonesia are affected by stunting caused by severe malnutrition.
The government hoped the program would provide meals for at least 82.9 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women – about one-third of the country's population.
It was among the first budget items to be cut back as Jakarta moved to counter the economic impact of the Middle East war.