Jakarta — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed strong disapproval of light sentences handed down in cases involving corruption that caused the state to lose hundreds of trillions of rupiah. He asserted that such lenient punishments undermine the public’s sense of justice and called on the judiciary to take corrective action.

Speaking at the National Development Planning Meeting (Musrembangnas) for the 2025 Medium-Term National Development Plan at the Bappenas building on Monday (December 30), Prabowo delivered a sharp critique.

“When the damage is so evident, particularly in cases where the losses are in the hundreds of trillions, judges must not issue overly lenient sentences. People say Prabowo doesn’t understand the law, but the people, even those on the streets, understand: someone steals hundreds of trillions, and the sentence is just a few years,” Prabowo remarked.

He turned to the Attorney General, urging immediate action.

“Attorney General! Have you appealed? Appeal, yes? Maybe the sentence should be around 50 years, don’t you think?” he suggested.

Prabowo also directed the Minister of Corrections to ensure that no undue privileges were granted to those convicted of such crimes while serving their sentences.

“Let’s make sure they don’t have air conditioning, refrigerators, or TVs in their prison cells. Minister of Corrections, I’m counting on you!” he stated firmly.

Prabowo underscored the need for government officials and law enforcement to reflect on and address systemic shortcomings.

“Our people are not easily deceived anymore. When the losses amount to hundreds of trillions, and the sentence is so light, it’s a slap in the face of justice. Meanwhile, someone who steals a chicken gets harshly punished, even beaten,” he pointed out.

Under his leadership, Prabowo reiterated his commitment to a clean government free of corruption, budget inflation, and other practices that harm the state.

“To all officials, across all levels, the culture of inflating budgets and markup practices is corruption. It is stealing from the people. If a project costs 100 million, then it should be 100 million—not inflated to 150 million. This culture must end,” Prabowo asserted.

He expressed optimism that with a clean government and robust law enforcement, the state’s revenues could be managed effectively for national development.

“God willing, if we manage everything well, the revenue for the state will improve,” he concluded.

— (RR)