Two parties in Indonesia president’s coalition distance themselves from food program — Channel NewsAsia

Two parties from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s coalition have decided after internal discussions to distance themselves from the government’s free nutritious meals program. As Channel NewsAsia reports, this comes amid cases of mass food poisoning, logistical problems, and corruption allegations surrounding the initiative.

Representatives of the two parties, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they intend to publicly voice concerns about the program and demand improvements. A representative of a third coalition party said the political force fears that problems surrounding the program could negatively affect its electoral prospects. Together, these parties account for more than a quarter of the coalition’s parliamentary majority, which controls about 80% of seats in parliament.

Decline in support

The program, launched in January 2025, was one of Subianto’s main campaign promises. The president promised to provide free nutritious meals to 83 million children and pregnant women. A Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting poll conducted in early October showed that about 62% of the public oppose the program.

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According to the same study, the president’s approval rating fell from 81% in November to 44.5% in October. The share of positive assessments of the program itself declined from 62% to just over one-third during that period.

Poisonings and investigation

In June, law enforcement officers arrested the program’s former head and two other officials on corruption charges. On August 31, dozens of families filed a police report against the government, marking the first legal action concerning the program. In early September, approximately 1,700 people fell ill after consuming free meals in four separate incidents. Since the program began, the number of food poisoning cases has reached at least 57,000.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka publicly apologized for the poisonings after visiting some of the affected children. Subianto had previously defended the initiative and in August promised to continue it with improvements and greater efficiency. The government has allocated 240 trillion Indonesian rupiah for the program next year.