TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video featuring various claims about the achievements of Prabowo Subianto's government programs has been circulating widely on social media. The screening of the video in public entertainment venues has sparked public attention.
Here are various responses to the video:
1. Content of the Video Played in Cinemas
In a widely circulated video on social media, Prabowo expressed his readiness to eradicate poverty in Indonesia. Not only that, the Head of State also claimed the success of the Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG) that has been implemented since the beginning of this year.
The video, which was played before the main film in cinemas, also detailed a number of data, such as the success of the MBG program which was claimed to have reached 20 million beneficiaries, the opening of 80 thousand Red and White Village Cooperatives, and the operation of 5,800 nutrition fulfillment service units (SPPG) throughout Indonesia.
Furthermore, Prabowo's video recording also presented national total rice production data reaching 21,760,000 tons until August 2025, the success of expanding paddy fields covering 225 thousand hectares, and the success of exporting 1,200 tons of corn at the beginning of the year.
2. Seen as Indoctrination
Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, regarded the government's action of inserting the video before the main film as nothing more than a form of indoctrination. "Such methods are often done by authoritarian and fascist states," said Usman, when contacted by Tempo on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
He urged the government to stop screening Prabowo's program video in public spaces and issue an open apology. According to Usman, what the government is doing tends to undermine public intelligence, where the public is presented with propaganda content that he deemed contrary to the facts on the ground.
"Instead of imposing by presenting forced claims, the government should reevaluate to regain public trust," he said.
3. Not a New Phenomenon
Asep Suryana, a Sociology lecturer at the State University of Jakarta, said that the government's intervention by inserting propaganda into public spaces such as cinemas is not actually a new phenomenon in Indonesia.
In 2018, he said, former President Joko Widodo also did a similar thing by airing advertisements of the government's achievements before the main film in cinemas.
"This is different because Prabowo does not have a stronger public image than what Jokowi did. Hence, it is natural to receive strong protests," said Asep when contacted on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Asep suggested that the government should not immediately conduct propaganda in public spaces. His reason being that the government's program achievements have their own space for delivery, and do not need to be inserted in cinemas.
He said that the reluctance and protests of netizens towards the screening of the government's program video in cinemas is reasonable. "There is a space that should be for public entertainment but is being intervened with government propaganda," he said.
4. Call Comes Late to Cinemas
On social media, the negative sentiment towards the screening was followed by an invitation for viewers to enter the studio 15 minutes after the scheduled screening. The Instagram account @mont**** said the goal is for viewers not to have to see the video of Prabowo's government achievements.
Subsequently, the invitation to arrive 15 minutes after the scheduled screening of the main film in cinemas received significant support from netizens. The controller of the @ahmd**** account believed that this invitation was appropriate.
"So far, people go to the movies for entertainment, not to be served political propaganda like this," wrote the account in a comment on the Instagram account @catatanfilm.
In their post until Sunday, 3:15 PM, the @catatanfilm account, which informed about the screening of Prabowo's video before the main film started, had received more than 74 thousand likes and over 14 thousand comments from netizens.
5. Palace Views it as Normal
State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the screening of Prabowo Subianto's video in various cinemas across the country before the main film started is a normal thing. According to him, the use of public media as a message delivery medium is not considered strange.
"As long as it does not violate the rules and does not disturb the comfort and beauty, it is normal," said Prasetyo in his written statement on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Andi Adam Faturahman contributed to this article.
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