Prabowo Urges Indonesians to Be Wary of 'Foreign-Defending Professors'

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto urged the public to think independently and not be easily influenced by others. He expressed surprise at some academics defending foreign interests and emphasized the importance of education and knowledge for the nation's future generations. Speaking at the 100th anniversary of Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor in Ponorogo, East Java, on Saturday (19/9), Prabowo highlighted the shared values between the Islamic boarding school's motto and the Indonesian Military Academy (Akmil). "We must have high morals, be honest, sincere, and not become corruptors. Don't pretend to have high morals, pretend to be sincere, pretend to be honest, and then steal when given trust and position," Prabowo stated in his speech. Prabowo then emphasized the need to build a strong nation so that Indonesia is not under the influence of other countries. According to him, this strength must be built through learning and the courage to admit one's own weaknesses. "We must be honest with ourselves, we must dare to see our weaknesses. It is easy for us to speak grandly, but difficult for us to see our own shortcomings, our own weaknesses," said Prabowo. He then stressed the importance of future generations having broad knowledge. According to him, Indonesian leaders must have the ability to understand issues and not be easily deceived by others. "Indonesian leaders must be smart. Don't be fooled by people. Don't be made a fool of," said Prabowo. Prabowo then admitted his surprise when some academics, holding professorial titles, were perceived as unable to see injustice. "I am sometimes surprised that there are professors who cannot see injustice. Professors who actually defend the interests of foreigners," he continued. In addition to having broad knowledge, Prabowo said that Indonesian citizens must have freedom of thought. However, according to him, this freedom must be accompanied by the courage to think correctly. "Think freely. Don't let yourselves be brainwashed by those who have no good intentions towards us," said Prabowo. Prabowo also reminded the audience of Indonesia's past experience of being colonized by other nations. According to him, this experience must serve as a lesson so that Indonesia does not return to a position of weakness. "We were once colonized by other nations, that is a bitter reality. Yes, our fathers, our grandfathers, our great-grandfathers, our predecessors, they struggled, they fought, but for a long time we were under the soles of other nations' feet," he said. "This is bitter, but we must dare to admit it, and we must learn from it, and we must resolve that we will never again be colonized by anyone," Prabowo continued. He stated that Indonesia must have strength so it can help other nations experiencing oppression. "We must be strong, because with strength, if we are strong, we can help our brothers and sisters who are oppressed and being oppressed by other nations. If we don't have strength, how can we help?" said Prabowo. Source: CNN Indonesia