Prabowo Jokes About Bahlil's Ability to Make Jokowi Laugh

President Prabowo Subianto humorously remarked that Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia possesses the talent to make former President Joko Widodo laugh. Prabowo praised Lahadalia's persuasive skills during the launch of a book celebrating Lahadalia's contributions. "But I've noticed, he's from Eastern Indonesia but very capable. When I see him, he can make Pak Jokowi laugh," Prabowo said during his speech at the launch of the book "10 Karya Nyata untuk Negeri: Setengah Abad Bahlil Lahadalia" in Jakarta on Friday (7/8). Prabowo noted that individuals from Solo, Central Java, like Jokowi, are typically reserved and rarely laugh. "People from Solo are known for being calm," he stated, contrasting this with Lahadalia's ability to elicit laughter. The president also humorously described himself as being from Banyumas, which he characterized as tougher than Solo residents. He expressed surprise at the 'skill' Lahadalia employed to convince him, even when Prabowo had initially excused himself from attending the event. "He said, 'Whatever you wish, Sir.' 'What matters is our inner connection,' he said. 'Even if we don't meet physically... I'm ready, whatever you wish. But if you have the strength, please attend, Sir.' It's difficult, isn't it?" Prabowo recounted. Prabowo considers Lahadalia not just a subordinate in the cabinet but also a political partner, given Lahadalia's position as the chairman of the Golkar Party. He stated that while his acquaintance with Lahadalia is not long, he recognized Lahadalia's strong leadership potential from the outset. "So we can see it. We can capture whether it's called a vibration, what's called instinct, maybe in English it's vibes or chemistry, and we can assess from two or three sentences, from conversations, from responses," Prabowo concluded, highlighting his assessment of Lahadalia's capabilities.