Eighth President of Indonesia since October 2024, chairman of the Gerindra party and former defence minister.
Party: Gerindra · Indonesia · Born 1951-10-17
People · 3 stories · Also known as: Prabowo, Presiden Prabowo
Photo: Darwis Triadi & Ministry of State Secretariat, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Direct ties, the people and institutions it most often appears with, and their documented ties. Click any bubble.
3 stories in our coverage over twelve weeks; bar height is the number of stories, colour the average tone.
Overall: neutral
Claims by or about this figure, with the verdict of fact checkers or official data.
What is circulating
“President Prabowo has raised the salaries of all specialist doctors in Indonesia by Rp30 million.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The government pays a special allowance of Rp30 million a month only to specialists posted in disadvantaged, border and island regions (DTPK), not to all specialists. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said payments began in January 2026 to about 1,100 specialists at regional government facilities in those areas.
What is circulating
“A video shows Prabowo urging the public to stay calm amid the current situation, shared on 10 November 2026 as students held protests.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The footage is real but was recorded during the 2025 protests, not in November 2026. Kompas said the framing needed correcting because it presented an old appeal as a response to the 10 November 2026 demonstrations.
What is circulating
“Prabowo announced he will restrict social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook in Indonesia.”
Claimed by Social media posts · social media
The facts
There is no statement from Prabowo about restricting social media, and the photo in the posts from early November 2026 was unrelated to the topic. Kompas rated the claim a hoax.
What is circulating
“A photo shows Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya arrested by police internal affairs (Propam) for involvement in the illegal wiretapping of President Prabowo.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The photo, shared from 9 November 2026, was generated with AI. Bareskrim has named four suspects in the wiretapping case, former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo and three inspectors general, and Teddy is not among them.
What is circulating
“President Prabowo has made driving licences (SIM) valid for life, so they no longer need renewing every five years.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
No such rule has been issued; driving licences still have to be renewed every five years. Kompas rated the posts circulating from 4 October 2026 a hoax.
What is circulating
“"Prabowo: 800 BUMN will be closed at the end of 2026 for MBG," with funds from the closures redirected to the free meals programme.”
Claimed by Facebook video post · social media
The facts
ANTARA found that the government is consolidating and reducing the number of state enterprises in 2026, but there is no official information linking that process to funding MBG. The 12 second video's claim is a hoax.
What is circulating
“"Prabowo promised to seize people's rice mills that earn large incomes and hand them to the Merah Putih village cooperatives."”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
Kompas found no statement or policy from Prabowo about seizing rice mills. The claim is fabricated.
What is circulating
“Defending the free meals programme (MBG) in his 14 August 2026 state address, Prabowo said "one in four Indonesian children" is stunted.”
Claimed by Prabowo Subianto · official statement
The facts
The latest national survey (SSGI 2024) puts stunting prevalence at 19.8 percent, roughly one in five children, down from 20.1 percent in 2023. Only 12 of 38 provinces were above 25 percent, and no SSGI survey was run in 2025.
What is circulating
“"This year we have repaired more than 71,744 schools," Prabowo said in his 14 August 2026 state address, adding that 17,000 schools were revitalised in 2025.”
Claimed by Prabowo Subianto · official statement
The facts
71,744 is the government's 2026 target, raised in June 2026 from an original 11,744 schools, not the number already completed; the education minister said work was under way on the original 11,744. The ministry's own figure for 2025 is 16,177 schools, not 17,000.
What is circulating
“In his 14 August 2026 state address, Prabowo said 2025 investment of Rp1,931 trillion "created more than 2.7 million jobs."”
Claimed by Prabowo Subianto · official statement
The facts
BPS labour data show employment rose by only 1.89 million people between February 2025 and February 2026, well below the 2.7 million figure. Economists cited by Kompas said each percentage point of growth absorbed about 950,000 workers in 2024 but only about 370,000 in 2025, because recent investment is capital intensive.
What is circulating
“"Our economy in the first half of this year grew at its highest rate in the last 13 years," Prabowo said while presenting the 2027 budget bill on 14 August 2026.”
Claimed by Prabowo Subianto · official statement
The facts
BPS data show growth of 5.45 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, and economists consulted by Kompas confirmed it is the highest in 13 years. They noted that the figure was lifted by Eid falling in March 2026 and by a low base, since first quarter 2025 growth was only 4.87 percent, and that job absorption per point of growth has fallen.
What is circulating
“President Prabowo has officially abolished the free meals programme (MBG) and replaced it with cash.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The posts from 16 June 2026 appeared amid a corruption case involving former National Nutrition Agency leaders, but no decision to end MBG had been made. Kompas has debunked versions of this claim repeatedly since late 2025.
What is circulating
“Responding to criticism of the President's foreign trips, Teddy said on 1 June 2026 that about Rp2,430 trillion of investment had come in over 1.5 years as a result of Prabowo's overseas visits.”
Claimed by Teddy Indra Wijaya, Cabinet Secretary · official statement
The facts
BKPM totals mix foreign and domestic investment; foreign direct investment, the part linked to overseas trips, was about Rp1,396.7 trillion during Prabowo's term, with domestic investment at Rp1,486.1 trillion. An economist also noted BKPM's 2025 foreign investment figure of about Rp900 trillion differs sharply from Bank Indonesia's Rp353 trillion.
What is circulating
“Prabowo and Puan agreed to hand land damaged by the disasters over to China to manage, and Puan signed a cooperation deal.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
There is no evidence of any such agreement or deal. Kompas rated the posts, which circulated in March 2026, a hoax.
What is circulating
“Prabowo summoned Jokowi to the Merdeka Palace and firmly told him to show his original diploma.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The posts from 10 March 2026 misused footage of a 3 March 2026 palace event to which Prabowo invited all former presidents and vice presidents. There is no record of any request about Jokowi's diploma.
What is circulating
“Finance Minister Purbaya asked Prabowo to convert the free meals programme (MBG) into cash of Rp300,000 per pupil per month.”
Claimed by Facebook posts · social media
The facts
The Finance Ministry denied that Purbaya made any such proposal. Similar claims that MBG would be replaced with cash kept resurfacing in 2026 and were debunked repeatedly.