TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto remarked that nothing is more pressing than filling the stomachs of hungry people while attending the culmination of farmers' and fishers' national week in Gorontalo on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
In his speech, Prabowo addressed intellectuals who rejected the implementation of his flagship program, the free nutritious meals (MBG).
According to Prabowo, the program is needed by children, farmers, and fishers.
"Those who disagree with the program, just come here. Ask the farmers and fishers, ask the children; is MBG necessary?" said Prabowo, as quoted from the live broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.
The chair of the Gerindra Party emphasized that there is nothing more important than addressing hunger, since those who are neglected could end up dead.
"There are smart people who believe there are more urgent matters than hungry bellies. I think there is nothing more dire than hunger. A hungry person, if not rectified immediately, will die," he said.
The former Jokowi-era Minister of Defense then mentioned the United Nations' projection about the level of hunger in the world, citing that the number will rise to 500-700 million people.
Meanwhile, the call for Prabowo to halt his free nutritious meal program is growing. Waves of protests across various regions—including Jakarta, Semarang, and Malang—during the last three weeks raised a similar demand: overhaul of the MBG program.
These demands increased in intensity after authorities unveiled a corruption scandal within the National Nutrition Body as the manager and coordinator of MBG earlier this month.
Read: Prabowo Insists Free Meal Program Helps the Needy
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