TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto delivered a briefing to the Red and White Cabinet at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 8th, 2026. The Chair of the Gerindra Party opened his speech at the working meeting event by discussing the government's achievements.
In front of his aides, Prabowo discussed the government's achievements during its almost 1.5 years in office. "In our first year, it's undeniable that we have achieved significant milestones," Prabowo said.
He evaluated that his government has achieved success amidst the uncertainty and conflicts in the world. Prabowo stated that conflicts in various regions have caused instability in the world.
Prabowo invited all ministers, deputy ministers, heads and deputy heads of agencies, as well as top officials and state-owned enterprise directors. Hundreds of officials attended the Presidential Palace last Wednesday. Here are some of Prabowo's briefings speaking for almost 60 minutes from the podium.
There are Groups of People who don't Want to Cooperate
The former Defense Minister highlighted groups in Indonesia that he considered unwilling to cooperate. Prabowo likened them to people who are unwilling to participate in building a bridge in the village.
"There is a phenomenon that we all feel, that there are groups in our society, our brothers and sisters, our fellow citizens, our big family of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, who have an attitude that can be said to be very uncooperative," he said.
Despite this, Prabowo stated that he doesn't have a problem with this condition. However, he was surprised by people who criticize the construction of a bridge when they don't want to participate. Moreover, he said, the criticism is expressed with harsh words.
"You, you are stupid. The wood is wrong, it shouldn't be there. The nail is wrong, it should be here. The chain is wrong," Prabowo exemplified the critics.
Continuously criticizing, Prabowo assessed, will not complete the construction of the bridge. Therefore, Prabowo feels that people who want to participate in building the bridge should not be nervous about it.
No Problem with Impeachment
The former Commander of the Special Forces Command stated that he has no problem with the discourse of impeachment or the removal of the president. However, he said, the mechanism must be in accordance with the democratic procedure in Indonesia.
Initially, he discussed the consensus in Indonesia that chose democracy as the state system. Prabowo said the democratic agreement had been reached since the era of the nation's founding fathers.
"So, brothers and sisters, in these conditions, we always adhere to the great consensus. We have chosen to be a democracy," Prabowo said.
In a democratic system, he said, a government that is considered not good can be replaced. The way is through a good and peaceful mechanism through general elections. In addition, another mechanism to change the government in a democracy is through impeachment. "It can also be through impeachment, there is no problem. But impeachment must go through the proper channels," he said.
In the impeachment mechanism, Prabowo said that various branches of power must be involved. This includes testing in the Constitutional Court, approval from the People's Consultative Assembly, and decision-making by the People's Consultative Assembly.
Prabowo highlighted that several Indonesian presidents have stepped down through the impeachment mechanism. These include the First President Soekarno and the Fourth President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur. Prabowo also mentioned the Second President Soeharto, who resigned after a series of demonstrations in 1998, stepping down from his position peacefully.
Indonesia is Safe if World War III Occurs
Prabowo said that Indonesia is one of the safest countries if World War III occurs because he considers Indonesia's condition to be better than most other countries. "Now if World War III happens, which country is safe? Indonesia is among the top," Prabowo said.
Prabowo said he doesn't believe that Indonesia's current condition is bleak. The narrative of "Dark Indonesia" was once the headline of one of the demonstrations protesting the policies of Prabowo's government in early 2025.
Prabowo gave an example that he considered to show the safety in Indonesia. In Bali, he said, there are many citizens of Russia and Ukraine while both countries are at war. According to Prabowo, wars are happening everywhere. "For me, there is no dark Indonesia. Indonesia is bright when many countries are in trouble," he said.
Prabowo highlighted the wars also happening in the Middle East. Prabowo questioned where the money and capital in the Middle East will move amid those conditions. He sees this as an opportunity for Indonesia which is not experiencing war. Indonesia, he said, is one of the most sought-after investment destinations.
Harsh Criticism
The Head of State referred to the Iranian nation as a headstrong nation. Prabowo conveyed his view after Iran faced attacks from the United States and Israel for almost six weeks since the end of February 2026.
However, he initially discussed various criticisms of himself, one of which accused him of being headstrong. "Sometimes, stubbornness is needed in a job," Prabowo said.
Prabowo then cited the Iranian nation, which he also considered headstrong. "Now people say the Iranian people are headstrong, Iranian fighters are headstrong," he said.
According to Prabowo, the Iranian nation is headstrong even though they often face threats. "Constantly threatened, they want to be wiped out. (But) I don't get involved in other countries' domestic politics," he said.
Prabowo then stated that a headstrong attitude is sometimes needed for a nation. He compared it to the stance of the founding fathers of Indonesia.
"Our founding fathers were headstrong, preferring to die than be colonized again. Our leaders were headstrong. The red and white (flag) is sacred. It's not a matter of negotiation," Prabowo said.
Sultan Abdurrahman contributed for this article.
Read: Prabowo Responds to "Stubborn" Criticism, Cites Iranian Fighters
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