Prabowo puzzled by protests against MBG, cites help for poor children
He said MBG is not mandatory for those who can afford it and rejected claims the program is draining education funding.
President Prabowo Subianto said he was puzzled that protests opposing the free nutritious meal program, or MBG, continue. Closing the 2026 National Congress of Ulama and the Large Conference of Nahdlatul Ulama at Institut Agama Islam Syaichona Mohammad Cholil in Bangkalan, East Java, on Tuesday, July 23, 2026, he said the program is meant to help children from poor families who often go to school without breakfast. Prabowo stressed MBG is not mandatory for people who can afford it. He also rejected the view that MBG cuts into the education budget, saying education spending is still being carried out. On another occasion in Gorontalo on June 24, 2026, Prabowo said nothing is more urgent than tackling hunger.