Mother: This is my new recipe. But look out. Don’t complain if it doesn’t taste good. Just keep quiet and eat it.
Mother: How’s it taste. Is there anything than can be improved. It tastes good, right?
Mother Give me some feedback.
Poki and Father: You ordered us to keep quiet...
Speaking during an event at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on October 29, President Prabowo Subianto said he does not consider himself to be an authoritarian leader and that he is open to criticism.
Prabowo said he often spends his nights watching podcasts that contain false accusations and harsh criticism about him, describing the experience as a lesson in humility and leadership rather than a source of resentment, adding that while the online attacks sometimes irritate him, he chooses to see them as opportunities to strengthen his resolve.
“I like to watch podcasts at night, sometimes I get upset, wondering, ‘What is this?’“, the former general said. “But I take notes. When I’m attacked, I tell the younger generation who aspire to become presidents: don’t be afraid of slander”, he was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe.
He recalled being falsely accused earlier in his life and said his teacher had taught him to interpret criticism as a sign that people are paying attention, or even feeling threatened. “When you’re slandered, it means people notice you”, he said. “To those who want to be president, that’s good, but be the right kind of president. Don’t fear correction”.
Prabowo added that he is aware of recurring claims labelling him as authoritarian, but that he rejects such a charge. “I watch those podcasts and ask myself, ‘Am I really authoritarian?’ I don’t think so”, he said with a smile.
The President’s stated acceptance of public criticism however is at odds with an October survey by the Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), which suggests that Indonesia’s freedom of expression and civil liberties have not improved in the first year of Prabowo’s administration.
According to the survey, 35 percent of respondents said there has been no improvement in freedom of speech and civil liberties compared to the previous government while 28 percent believed that such freedoms remain “very unprotected”.
Celios said that that the survey indicates a growing perception among the public that the space for free expression is narrowing and cited several contributing factors, including the use of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, the security-heavy approach to protests and legal proceedings that lack transparency or due process.
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) meanwhile said that freedom of expression has worsened under Prabowo with the foundation noting that 5,444 people were arrested during demonstrations at the end of August, and 997 were named suspects.
The YLBHI added that the narrowing space for free speech was further legitimised by Prabowo’s remarks labelling demonstrators as subversive or terrorists during the August unrest.
An Amnesty International Indonesia report published in July documented attacks against at least 104 human rights defenders across 54 separate cases during the first six months of the year alone.
