While attending the 6th Democratic Party (Partai Demokrat) Congress in Jakarta on Tuesday evening (February 25), Prabowo rejected the pessimistic view regarding Indonesia’s economic and social conditions under his leadership.
"Indonesia is above Japan, the UK, and France, then how come Indonesia is dark?" he claimed.
According to Prabowo, Indonesia has enormous potential and is able to make savings in various sectors to be allocated to more important areas.
Although it is acknowledged that this change is not always easy -- especially for those who are accustomed to comfort -- the president emphasized the importance of sacrifice for the welfare of the people.
"Now we have strong potential. We can finally see from where we can save (the State Budget) to be allocated in more important sectors,” he noted.
He further drew attention to the “Kabur Aja Dulu” (just run away first) trend circulating on social media, which encourages young Indonesians to seek better employment abroad.
Although traveling abroad provides new insights, Prabowo said, the main focus should remain on efforts to improve people's welfare at home.
"Trust me, who often travels abroad, there is nothing special about it,” he stated.
“Meanwhile, here, our people must be taken care of. Let us pursue it so that in a few years, our people can be strong and prosperous. I say Indonesia will succeed in becoming a prosperous country," he remarked.
Prabowo is optimistic that the young generation will bear witness to Indonesia's progress in the future.
He cited global economic predictions that Indonesia will be the fourth-largest economy in the world in 2050, beating developed countries such as Japan, the UK, and France.
Thousands of students took to the streets in cities across the country this week, decrying what they call Indonesia Gelap or “Dark Indonesia” to oppose Prabowo’s call to slash government spending -- including on education -- to fund his flagship policies, including the free meals program.
The program is deemed ineffective for implementation in Indonesia, where the middle class has been shrinking over the past years as the country has struggled to generate sufficient formal sector employment opportunities.
According to the latest government data, the unemployment rate among Indonesians aged 15-24 stood at 17.3 percent as of last August. This is significantly higher than the national rate of 4.9 percent.
Unemployment rates have also risen among university graduates and those holding vocational college diplomas.
Over 44 million Indonesians fall within the age bracket of between 15 and 24 years, accounting for about 16 percent of the population.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Primayanti
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