Indonesian President Prabowo tells army to guard raw resources from foreign groups
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said foreign entities have been stealing, smuggling and taking much of the country's resources.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
President Prabowo Subianto told the military to guard the country’s vast natural resources from foreign entities, saying such groups have been “stealing” and “smuggling” Indonesia’s assets.
The military must help law enforcement and central and regional governments to protect the resources and ensure they are used to eradicate poverty, Mr Prabowo said in a speech at a ceremony commemorating the military’s 80th anniversary in Jakarta on Oct 5.
“It’s no secret that our natural resources are abundant and we, for hundreds of years, have been disturbed, invaded by foreign powers,” Mr Prabowo said to a crowd of thousands from the army, navy and air force.
“Up until today, until this very second, these irresponsible powers are still stealing, smuggling and taking much of our resources.”
Mr Prabowo, a former general, has aggressively sought tighter control of various parts of the economy – from natural resources to fiscal and monetary policy – since coming to office in 2024 as his administration pushes for 8 per cent economic growth. The expansion pace has not been seen in decades.
The President has expanded the military’s reach into civilian programmes, boosted defence spending, sped up changes to military laws and appointed senior officers to run state-owned enterprises, including those managing more than 1,000,000ha of oil palm plantations seized by the state.
Recently, the armed forces began distributing military-produced medicine and vitamins
About 133,000 soldiers attended the ceremony on Oct 5 held at the National Monument landmark, making the event the largest anniversary celebration, local news outlet Kompas reported, citing an armed forces official.
Mr Prabowo also told the soldiers to pursue technology and science developments, including artificial intelligence and cyber security.
“Follow the developments and make sure that you’re not left behind. If needed, replace obsolete personnel with the right persons in the interest of the nation,” he said. BLOOMBERG
