New President Prabowo pledges to improve lives across the country

Prabowo Subianto took office as Indonesia's eighth president on Sunday (October 20), promising to improve the lives of his fellow citizens across the archipelago.

In a speech after his inauguration ceremony in Jakarta, Prabowo said he and his vice president Gibran Rakabuming Raka would serve all Indonesians. With a full sense of responsibility and with all the strength of our soul and body, we will lead Indonesia… prioritizing the interests of all Indonesians, including those who did not vote for us, he noted.

Many people are still living in hardship, Prabowo stressed, adding that his administration will strive to improve the lives of Indonesians in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

High hopes

The former defense minister succeeds Joko Widodo, whose son Gibran, 37, was put forward as Prabowos' running mate in the Feb. 14 election and was sworn in as vice president in the same ceremony. There are high hopes that the transition will usher in a new period of political stability and continue to elevate the archipelagos on the global stage.

Dressed in traditional blue Javanese attire, Prabowo, 73, recited his oath of office with a copy of the Quran above his head. By God, I swear to carry out my duties as President of the Republic of Indonesia as best and as justly as possible, respecting the Constitution, laws and regulations of the republic, he said.

He then embraced Widodo, 63, and the two men exchanged seats at the front of the room to applause from attendees. Participants included Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles.

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Other guests included South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. The U.S. delegation was led by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Posters and banners across Jakarta featured messages supporting Prabowo and Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi. They read: Thank you, Jokowi. Good luck, Prabowo Gibran.

Prabowo was elected on February 14 with more than 58% of the vote. This was his third attempt to become president, having run against Widodo in 2014 and 2019. He beat two other candidates, former Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo and former Jakarta Governor Anies. Baswedan.

Even before ascending to the top job, Prabowo had already started work on a free meals program that was a key part of his campaign. The plan, for which the government has set aside 71 trillion rupees (S$6 billion), aims to help poorer communities and address the problem of stunting by providing free meals to all children and adults. pregnant women.

He also set an ambitious economic growth target of 8 percent per year, up from 5 percent currently.

Prabowo also said he wants Indonesia to play a more active role on the world stage. There is a saying: a thousand friends are too few, one enemy is too many. We want to be the best friend of all nations, he added during his speech.

In the evening, Prabowo hosted a state dinner for guests at the Presidential Palace. He then announced the composition of his Cabinet, comprising a mix of politicians, professionals and business leaders.

Significant potential

Prime Minister Wong, who is in Indonesia for a two-day visit that ends on Monday, visited Prabowo at the Istana Merdeka on Sunday afternoon before attending a state dinner in the evening.

A statement from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Prime Minister Wong congratulated Prabowo on his inauguration and strong mandate, and hoped to deepen bilateral cooperation. As a friend and neighbor, Singapore stands ready to partner with Indonesia, both bilaterally and regionally, the statement added.

In another congratulatory letter to Prabowo, Prime Minister Wong said there is significant potential for the two countries to work together in many areas and seek win-win outcomes for both sides. He noted that Singapore and Indonesia enjoy a close economic partnership with significant trade, investment and tourism flows. Defense relations have also deepened with the Defense Cooperation Agreement already entering into force.

In recent years, we have started working on renewable energy and sustainability, food security, human capital development and healthcare, and I hope we can take our cooperation to the next level, wrote the Prime Minister Wong. The challenges and opportunities of the future will require closer international collaboration and coordination. Singapore and Indonesia also have a common interest in preserving regional peace and prosperity and promoting a rules-based order. Indonesia will continue to play a key role as a leader and trusted partner for constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in today's increasingly fragmented world.

Prime Minister Wong also wrote a letter to Widodo, noting that Indonesia has made tremendous progress under the latter's visionary and steady leadership.

Prime Minister Wong noted that Widodo had overseen a decade of remarkable stability and solid economic growth, adding: I am grateful for your unwavering support for our bilateral relations during your tenure. Your leadership has paved the way for the two countries to resolve long-standing issues, including airspace, defense cooperation and extradition. This has given us a solid foundation to embark on new areas of cooperation that will position Singapore and Indonesia well for the future.

Singapore's leader said Indonesia continues to be an attractive destination for Singaporean companies to invest and expand. We hope to build on our close people-to-people ties and cultures to deepen mutual trust and understanding. THE TIMES OF THE STRAITS