Prabowo Admits He Loves the West and Burger King: "But Sometimes the West Doesn't Love Us"

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his position on geopolitics. He said that he is not anti-West, but sometimes he is dismayed by the West's treatment toward Indonesia.

"I am not anti-West. I actually really love the West. But sometimes the West does not love us. That is the issue," said Prabowo Subianto at an event with Indonesia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jakarta, on Friday (12/1/2024).

The Defense Minister also admits he enjoys Burger King, a popular American brand in Indonesia.

"I like eating Burger King. I like it. Sometimes they [the West] do not care about us," Prabowo continued.

Therefore, Prabowo explained, Indonesia's food security should not be dependent on the West. He said that Indonesia had good food management during President Soeharto's era until the IMF foiled that.

"At that time we gave up to the IMF. We believed that they loved us, but there is no love between the relations of states. What exists is their interest," Prabowo said.

President Soeharto was Prabowo's father-in-law. The corruption in his era caused Soeharto to fall from power after the students led a reformation in 1998.

Furthermore, Prabowo said one of the strategies to gain food security is by preparing food estates in Indonesia. Prabowo took an example from Ibnu Sutowo, a former minister during Soeharto's era.

However, Prabowo's food estate program has been criticized by Anies Baswedan who is doubting the feasibility of such program.

Ibnu Sutowo was fired by President Soeharto for allegedly being involved in massive corruption during his role as the director of Pertamina, a state-owned oil company.