Indonesia’s new President and ministers begin a military-style retreat which includes morning drills

MAGELANG, Indonesia (AP) —

Indonesia’s newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto and his cabinet ministers started a military-style retreat on Friday at a military academy in the Java province.

Wearing army attire from camouflage hats and clothes to combat shoes, the ministers began the retreat at the National Military Academy of Indonesia, which is surrounded by mountains, in the city of Magelang.

The ministers and their deputies traveled to Central Java using Indonesia’s Air Force aircraft, Hercules C-130J on Thursday.

According to a written statement from Prabowo Media Team, the group was asked to wake up at 4 a.m. to do sports activities and marching exercises.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, center, accompanied by, rear from left, Defense Minister Sjafrie Samsoeddin, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Agus Subiyanto, and National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, inspect honor guards during a cabinet retreat at the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

The 73-years-old former general said Friday in his opening remarks at the academy that he does not mean to make a military cabinet but wanted to emphasize that the ‘military way’ is usually carried out in government and even in companies in order to align discipline and loyalty to the nation and state.

“I did not ask you to be loyal to Prabowo. I ask you to be loyal to our country and our nation, Indonesia,” Subianto said.

Besides the retreat, he also held a briefing with his cabinet about several topics, including the focus and commitment of each ministry and institution to work toward eradicating poverty, fighting corruption and achieving self-sufficiency in food and energy.

Subianto is not the first President of Indonesia with a military background. Suharto and the sixth President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, were also retired army generals who led the country. However, this unconventional retreat was the first to be held during Subianto’s first term in office.

Subianto on Sunday was inaugurated as the new president of Southeast Asia’s largest economy. He swore in his cabinet with 109 members, making it the largest since 1966.