By Prabowo Subianto, excerpted from “National Transformation Strategy: Towards a Golden Indonesia 2045,” pages 228-229, fourth softcover edition.

My fellow countrymen, much of what I have to say here is indeed bitter. It’s also a harsh reality that we cannot place too much hope in some of our elites. Many Indonesian elites are eloquent speakers.

So eloquent, in fact, that some are also adept at deceit.

I entered politics out of necessity. Oh, the politics! Out of 15 political figures I meet, 14 spout falsehoods. That’s why I am heartened to know that those reading this book seek to understand the true state of our nation.

What we need now is solidarity. To work unitedly. To operate with sound and healthy reasoning.

To make our democracy succeed, the good folks, the Pandawas, those who wish to create and leave behind a positive legacy for their descendants, must come together to offer the people an alternative choice.

You, the readers of this book, are part of the intellectual community. Indonesia’s intellectual community must rise as a pivotal force—a force of peace, a calming influence, and a force unwavering in its refusal to allow injustice to continue within the Republic of Indonesia.

Ultimately, it comes down to what Edmund Burke once said, “If everybody keeps quiet,” it’s the malevolent that will lead.