January 31, 2026 | 07:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had met with figures considered part of the government's opposition on Friday, January 30, 2026. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin conveyed this while addressing members of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) on Saturday.
According to Sjafrie, the meeting discussed how the country should be managed well by all parties. "Last night, the President met several national figures who are described as opposition," said Sjafrie in Bogor, West Java, as reported by Antara.
According to Sjafrie, many parties have often created conditions that disadvantage Indonesia, including abuse of natural resources and financial leakage. This includes private actors unwilling to comply with business regulations for personal gain.
He also underscored alleged leakages in the state budget, claiming he has received reports of approximately Rp5,777 trillion from state-owned bank groups channeled into corporations. "Meanwhile, our state budget stands at around Rp300 trillion. Where does the budget leakage go?" he said.
He did not rule out the possibility that elements within the government could be responsible for the state losses. Therefore, Sjafrie said, Prabowo, in his meeting with opposition figures, wanted to invite everyone to jointly fix the country.
After the briefing with PWI members, Sjafrie was asked further about Prabowo's meeting with opposition figures.
Sjafrie admitted that he did not know the names of the attendees. "I don't know their names, I forgot. The point is these national figures have declared that there is no opposition. This is a matter of communication, and it has been established," said Sjafrie.
He added, "What I know is that these figures have stated that it is about time we return to people's sovereignty."
When asked where the meeting took place, Sjafrie was reluctant to give a detailed answer. "At a place. I think you (the media crew) know better," he said.
A crowd was seen late Friday at Prabowo Subianto's residence on Jalan Kertanegara IV, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Prabowo was suspected to be receiving guests at his private residence. The area around the president's residence was heavily guarded.
About 150 meters from Prabowo's residence, there was a guard post with a "no entry" sign, as well as several orange road barriers lining the entrance.
Several security officers were on duty, and a number of guest convoys entered and exited through that route several times. For example, around 8:30 p.m., based on Tempo's observation, a convoy of cars escorted by patrol motorcycles and security entered the area.
At least until 10:00 p.m., no guests were seen coming out of President Prabowo's house.
Read: Minister Pratikno Denies Exiting Prabowo's Cabinet Amid Reshuffle Rumors
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