National Nutrition Agency (BGN)

What is circulating

“Finance Minister Purbaya is pulling Rp71 trillion from the free meals programme (MBG) and diverting it to rice aid because of poisoning cases.”

Claimed by Social media users · social media

The facts

Purbaya did say he would reallocate unabsorbed MBG funds to other programmes such as 10 kg rice aid, but only if spending stayed low by the end of October 2025, and framed it as budget absorption, not a response to poisoning. As of 3 October 2025 the agency had spent Rp21.64 trillion, 34 percent of its allocation, and the funds had not been withdrawn.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“"We have fed 35.4 million people... that is almost seven times Singapore," Prabowo said of the free meals programme (MBG) at the Forbes Global CEO Conference on 15 October 2025.”

Claimed by Prabowo Subianto, President · official statement

The facts

The 35.4 million figure matched the latest recipient data. But Singapore's population was 6.11 million in June 2025, so seven times would be 42.77 million; 35.4 million is about 5.8 times Singapore's population.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta

What is circulating

“Speaking at the PKS national conference on 29 September 2025, Prabowo said food poisoning and other failures in the free meals programme (MBG) amounted to only 0.00017 percent.”

Claimed by Prabowo Subianto, President · official statement

The facts

Against the 30 million recipients Prabowo cited, 0.00017 percent equals about 51 cases. The National Nutrition Agency itself reported 71 poisoning incidents by 27 September and told the DPR on 1 October 2025 that 6,457 people had been affected, while the monitoring network JPPI counted 8,649 children poisoned by 27 September.

Fact check: Kompas.com Cek Fakta