Prabowo Cites Quranic Verse on Slander, Criticizing 'Geniuses' Opposing Government Policy

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has criticized some experts who question the government's strategic policy decisions, quoting a verse from the Quran. During his speech at the 28th anniversary of the National Mandate Party (PAN), Prabowo quoted Surah Al-Baqarah verse 191 of the Quran, which states that "slander is crueler than murder." He stated that he does not care about the criticisms from these so-called experts, saying, "Let the experts who consider themselves experts do as they please. They become so smart that they become foolish." Prabowo emphasized that he took an oath to prosper the people. He said he does not want to see Indonesian children starving or malnourished, unable to compete with children from other countries. "So their bones are weak, their muscles are weak, their brain cells are weak. They cannot compete with children of other nations. I do not want to see that. That is not my oath. I swear to see Indonesia prosperous. That is my oath," he said. Prabowo reminded experts to be honest, as honesty is part of the responsibility of an intellectual. "If they realize it, I will forgive them. But I remind you, if you have intelligence, don't forget, a scholar must be honest. That is intellectual honesty," he said. This statement is interpreted as a direct rebuttal from the head of government to the concerns and criticisms raised by some academics and policy commentators regarding the economic development and social policies being pursued by the president. It suggests a divergence of views between experts and the government on approaches to balancing economic growth with the quality of public life.