Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto has said that one of the biggest challenges during his tenure is related to the mindset of the government elites who have been in a comfort zone for too long.

This comfort zone has lulled the elite into a false sense of security and caused them to overlook several threats to Indonesia's defense, he observed during an interview with Najwa Shihab here on Friday.

"We have been in a relatively peaceful period for a long time so our elites thought this peaceful condition is normal," he explained.

Indonesia is also surrounded by friendly countries, so the elite often assume that there will be no threat, he noted.

"This is very difficult. By thinking that there is no threat, in the end, our elites feel that defense is not too important. Defense is nice to have, but it is not vital," he highlighted.

However, Subianto said that, throughout his nearly four-year tenure as the Defense Minister, he has considered defense to be a vital issue, including when a country is in a peaceful period.

"Any Political Science and State Science lessons will tell you that defense is vital. We can be safe, prosper because we defend our country, our territory," the minister explained.

Indonesia should always be alert and protect its territory because it has many resources that need to be protected, including from foreign fishing boats frequenting Indonesian waters.

Indonesia has an abundance of resources, both on land and sea. For instance, Indonesia has the second biggest fish reserves in the world, he highlighted.

"Therefore, if we do not protect this potential richness, this would be very troubling," Subianto stressed.

For this reason, he said that, throughout his tenure, he has been determined to modernize Indonesia's main weapons system equipment (alutsista).

Under his leadership, the ministry has purchased several types of new main weapon systems, ranging from jet fighters and warships to radars equipped with the latest technology, to bolster Indonesia's defense.

Related news: US, China must act wisely for sake of world peace: Minister
Related news: Superior police needed in building strong nation: Minister Subianto







Translator: Genta Tenri M, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2023