INDOPOSCO.ID – A warning by Prabowo Subianto to his subordinates not to submit fabricated or manipulated reports has sparked fresh concerns among political observers.
Political communication analyst Hendri Satrio said the statement signals the possibility of serious problems within the government’s inner circle.
According to him, the warning indicates the likelihood of information manipulation by subordinates who may be more focused on projecting success than addressing real problems faced by the public.
“The president himself has warned about these ‘made-up’ reports, but the warning actually shows that the rot has spread within the inner circle. Subordinates should help the president, not burden him with false data that eventually forces him to clean up the problems himself,” Hensa -Hendri Satrio’s nickname- said via phone on Sunday (March 15, 2026).
He believes the situation has led President Prabowo to frequently step in personally to explain various issues that should normally be handled by the relevant officials.
In his view, the pattern reflects a serious problem in the government’s communication structure.
“Every issue seems to end up revolving around Prabowo, creating a phenomenon of internal erosion of the president’s political image,” Hensa explained.
Hensa said he was puzzled that almost every public controversy eventually has to be clarified directly by the head of state.
“I’m surprised. Why does Prabowo always have to step forward and explain this and that? Everything comes back to him. This is indeed a form of internal erosion,” he said.
The founder of KedaiKOPI Survey Institute cited the controversy surrounding the implementation of the government’s Free Nutritious Meals Program, which has recently faced rejection from several schools.
In that case, Hensa noted, the public saw the president actively providing clarification, even though officials from the relevant ministries should have been at the forefront of explaining the program to the public.
“This is a kind of internal erosion carried out by Prabowo’s own people, so that whatever happens, Prabowo ends up being blamed,” he said.
Hensa warned that such a situation could create the perception that the president is working alone without effective support from his team.
He therefore stressed the importance of managing political communication strategies at the government level.
According to him, the president needs to be more cautious in managing his public appearances and the messages he delivers.
“We end up forgetting that other officials are supposed to handle issues like the free meals program. In my view, Prabowo’s frequent appearances could worsen the erosion of his political image because people may eventually lose trust if he keeps speaking about everything. It will create the perception that the president is working alone,” he said.
He also warned that such a condition could be exploited by political opponents. If the president appears too often to respond to every controversy, the political burden will increasingly concentrate on him.
“Although the presidency can sometimes resemble a ‘one-man show,’ if he handles everything himself, all the burden will be piled onto his shoulders,” Hensa said.
He further argued that the issue is not merely about communication but could lead to a gradual erosion of the president’s public image if the pattern continues.
“And don’t forget, every time the president steps in, there is a risk because the negative side can be exploited by political opponents. The more often someone speaks, the greater the chance of making mistakes, and that risk needs to be minimized,” he said.
He added that in today’s digital media era, statements by public officials can easily be edited and redistributed with different contexts.
“Nowadays, when mistakes happen, videos can easily be cut, stitched together, clipped, and given contexts that were never intended. Those impacts must also be understood,” he added. (her)
