Speaking from East Java during the inauguration of over 1,000 village cooperatives on Saturday, Prabowo acknowledged that the free meals project had encountered numerous “problems and challenges” since its launch early last year.

“It’s true that there are many challenges. The free meals program comes with many problems. We must put things in order,” Prabowo said in the event livestreamed on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube channel.

The program, which is aimed to combat malnutrition nationwide, has reached nearly 62 million recipients as of May 12, inching toward its year-end target of 82.9 million schoolchildren and pregnant mothers combined, according to the Government Communications Agency (GCA).

While not specifying the program’s problems, Prabowo pointed the blame towards officials in positions of authority, some of whom he claim “lost their integrity when faced with money” and failed to uphold the principles expected from public servants.

The President added that his administration would not hesitate to sanction any officials “who violate the rules” and “abuse their authority.”

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“We will clean them up, and we will remove them from their position,” Prabowo said.

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