President Prabowo: Protector of the People’s Marketplace

In Indonesia, where over 60 million MSMEs form the backbone of our economy, the integrity of the market is not an abstract principle—it is a matter of survival.

Our street vendors, warung owners, and small producers live and die by a fair transaction. Yet for decades, they’ve had to fight not only market forces but also unfair practices by dominant players who manipulate packaging, pricing, and product quality. When these deceptive practices go unchecked, the little guy always loses—the small business is squeezed, and the consumer is deceived.

That is why I welcome, with full conviction, the strong stance taken by President Prabowo Subianto in defending the rights of Indonesian consumers—especially the poor and working-class who feel the pain of every rupiah lost.

Faith and Fairness in Trade

The call for marketplace justice is not just economic—it is deeply moral.

As a Muslim, I recall what the Qur’an states in Surah Al-Mutaffifin (83):1–3:

“Woe to those who cheat in measurement—those who, when they receive from others, demand full measure, but when they measure or weigh for others, they give less.”

The Prophet Muhammad SAW himself was a merchant who upheld honesty in trade. He declared, “Whoever cheats is not one of us” (HR Muslim). These teachings are not just meant for the mosque—they are meant to shape policy and behavior in real markets.

That is what makes President Prabowo’s recent actions so vital.

Action, Not Rhetoric

On July 30, 2025, President Prabowo summoned the heads of Indonesia’s law enforcement bodies to the Palace. His directive was clear: end dishonest practices in the rice trade—a basic staple for our people.

The data speaks for itself.

Indonesia consumes over 30 million tons of rice annually. At Rp 10,000/kg, that translates to Rp 300 trillion in yearly market value. A fraudulent margin of just Rp 1,000 per kilo equals Rp 30 trillion siphoned away from the people—many of whom live on tight margins.

The Ministry of Agriculture recently discovered that from 212 brands labeled as “premium” rice and sold at Rp 18,000 per kilo, 189 were in fact medium-grade rice, whose real market price should be around Rp 12,000. That’s a Rp 6,000 deception per kilogram, multiplied by millions of purchases.

In response, the President ordered investigations—and four major producers are now under legal scrutiny. This is not business as usual. This is leadership rooted in justice.

Fighting “Greedonomics”

This isn’t just about rice. It’s about a larger culture of deception that has plagued our markets for too long. Under President Prabowo, several high-profile frauds have been exposed:

• Cooking oil sold in 700-800 ml packages labeled as 1 liter.
• Fuel labeled as higher-grade Pertamax (RON 92), when in fact it was Pertalite (RON 90).
• Refilled drinking water distributed under licensed bottled water brands—without authorization or hygiene checks.
• Staple goods sold at prices above government-set ceilings.

These cases reveal a pattern: powerful actors taking advantage of weak enforcement, while honest MSMEs and consumers pay the price.

But for the first time in years, we’re seeing a different pattern: the pattern of accountability.

A New Era of Market Protection

President Prabowo is not only Commander in Chief of our defense forces—he is fast becoming what I would call the Consumer Protector in Chief. And that matters greatly for the future of our people’s economy.

Because when the rules are enforced fairly, honest traders win.

When cheating is punished, trust in the market grows.

And when consumers are respected, economic growth becomes inclusive.

This is the kind of leadership our small businesses have been waiting for. And I say this not as a politician or a pundit, but as someone who has spent decades walking alongside MSMEs, from the fish markets of Makassar to the coffee hills of Gayo.

President Prabowo has shown that protecting consumers is not a soft issue—it is a strategic foundation for building a just and competitive economy.

Let us continue this path.

Let us defend the dignity of the marketplace.

Let us put honesty back at the heart of Indonesian prosperity.