Jakarta — The President-elect for the 2024-2029 period, Prabowo Subianto, has once again emphasized the urgency of a free lunch and milk program for all school children in Indonesia.

He reiterated this point during an exclusive interview on the ‘Talk to Al Jazeera’ program that aired on Sunday (12/5).

According to Prabowo, the free lunch and milk program, which will be allocated to approximately 80 million people, is urgent and should be expedited for the future of Indonesian children.

“I think free meal program is very urgent and its we have to take urgent measures and the children of Indonesia are our future. This is very strategic for the future of Indonesia,” Prabowo said during the interview.

Prabowo also stated that he has studied and calculated the policy thoroughly.

“I studied the problems, i studied where we can save and where we can relocate. I am very, very convinced,” Prabowo explained.

Furthermore, the main goal of the free lunch and milk program is not only to reduce the stunting rates, which continue to rise among children in Indonesia, but also to ensure that Indonesian children can grow and receive proper nutrition.

“Not only that but to help them in their health. In their fitness you know the stunting of Indonesia children is very, i would say very saddening,” revealed Prabowo.

Moreover, Prabowo has already begun gradual trials of the free lunch and milk program in regions of Kalimantan and Eastern Indonesia.

“We have started pilot project already three months. We’ve started not many, but we’ve started in east Indonesia, we started in Kalimantan and the everybody reports after 2-3 months, the children are more likely attandance rate increase,” Prabowo noted.

Therefore, Prabowo is optimistic that one of his priority programs will proceed well and be allocated to all Indonesian children for their bright future.

“You know now this, they know when they come to school there’s lunch or there’s a meal. So, we are very optimistic about it,” concluded Prabowo.