TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto denied that former presidents of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, intervened in his government. Prabowo said he’s the one asking for inputs, as both reigned for a decade each. 

“Don’t think about it (as) cawe-cawe. I’m the one who asked for advice from Pak SBY,” he said while delivering a speech at the closing of the 6th Congress of the Democratic Party at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Jakarta, on the evening of Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

Prabowo also said neither SBY nor Jokowi ever entrusted him with something in exchange for the advice given.

The former defense minister said both former presidents were experienced in leading a nation. “Only a fool doesn’t learn from these two figures,” he said.

Based on several Tempo reports, Jokowi has engaged in cawe-cawe practices or intervened in the government on various occasions. He did so to ensure his son Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s vice presidential candidacy through the Constitutional Court ruling. 

Moreover, at the tail-end of his term, Jokowi actively intervened with the future government by proposing four names of his trusted individuals as ministers in Prabowo's cabinet.

Jokowi also tried to steer the budget for the following year so that Prabowo could continue his programs and policies, especially for the construction of the Nusantara Capital City or IKN. 

At the end of his term, Jokowi ambitiously aimed to relocate the capital from Jakarta to Penajem in East Kalimantan. The relocation later faced issues as the new capital was not yet ready with few investors.

To facilitate all of his desires, Jokowi reportedly pushed the parliament to remove Soeharto's name from the People's Consultative Assembly Decree on corruption, collusion, and nepotism. The removal could pave the way for the government to bestow the title of national hero upon the New Order ruler. In 2014, Prabowo proposed that his former father-in-law receive the award.

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