January 23, 2026 | 05:38 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto said the role of a leader is fundamentally simple: to work until the poor and vulnerable can smile, a sign that they have hope for the future.
Prabowo made the remarks during his speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, January 22. He said the idea was drawn from a reflection shared by a political leader he described as wise and honest.
"One of my elders, a very wise man, a very honest political leader, told me: 'Prabowo, the duty of the leader is very simple. You must work so that the poor and the weak can smile'," Prabowo told the audience.
"Very simple. If the poor, teh weak can smile and can laugh, that means they have hope. That means they see a future. That means their livelihood is being improved."
According to Prabowo, hope reflects real improvements in people’s lives. He said his current mission as president is to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable Indonesians can look to the future with confidence.
“So, that is my mission now: to make the poorest of Indonesians, the weakest of Indonesians, smile,” he said.
Prabowo added that a key part of achieving this goal is tackling corruption, manipulation, and the abuse of power for personal gain. He described corruption as a disease that must be acknowledged before it can be cured.
“A nation must have the courage to admit its illness if it wants to recover,” Prabowo said, comparing corruption to a medical condition that cannot be treated if it is denied.
The chair of the Gerindra Party said his administration is committed to confronting corruption directly, firmly, and openly, despite skepticism about whether such efforts can succeed.
Sultan Abdurrahman contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Prabowo in Davos: 1,000 Friends for Indonesia Too Few, One Enemy Too Many
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