Prabowo's free meals scheme threatened by corruption arrests
Three top officials arrested, quality scandals mount, and a billion-dollar program teeters
Indonesia’s free meals programme – a flagship initiative of President Prabowo Subianto – is facing a deepening crisis after former National Nutrition Agency chief Dadan Hindayana and his two ex-deputies were charged with corruption and taken into custody. The billion-dollar programme, launched this January to combat child malnutrition, has long been plagued by governance problems, quality issues and mass food poisoning cases. The arrests now threaten the programme’s future and the president’s political standing, sparking sarcastic reactions on social media.
- Former National Nutrition Agency chief Dadan Hindayana and two deputies arrested on corruption charges
- Program launched January 2025 with billion-dollar budget, plagued by mass food poisoning and quality issues
- Prabowo sacked the trio, admitting violations but risking political fallout over flagship initiative
Why It Matters
Political instability from flagship program crisis could shift budget priorities and public sector contracts in Indonesia.