Maintaining public trust: Prabowo's focus on tangible results and internal integrity

Maintaining public trust is a critical political asset, akin to a carefully cultivated rice field rather than wild grass, according to columnist Ahmadie Thaha. A recent Poltracking survey indicates that public confidence in the Indonesian government remains robust at 74 percent. However, the focus is on how President Prabowo Subianto actively works to preserve this trust.

The President is not merely announcing government programs; he is ensuring they are visible, tangible, and directly impact citizens' lives. The Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program serves as a prime example. President Prabowo has personally overseen its implementation, gathering program managers to ensure its smooth operation. Thaha argues that such hands-on involvement in the "kitchen" of policy execution is often more crucial in politics than public speeches, as "the people do not eat speeches. The people eat the results of policies."

However, trust is also built on how a leader handles failures and potential wrongdoing. The article highlights the challenge of addressing allegations of corruption that ensnare individuals close to strategic government programs. The public's attention shifts from the program's budget or beneficiaries to a single question: "Is the government brave enough to clean its own house?"

Cleaning one's own house, Thaha writes, is always more difficult than addressing issues in a neighbor's. Internal corruption can involve trusted allies, making decisive action a test of leadership. History shows that leaders can fall not from external attacks but from their inability to distance themselves from those close to them, where loyalty morphs into justification and friendship into protection, ultimately shielding mistakes and eroding power.