Prabowo Urges Crackdown on Online Gambling, Drugs in First Cabinet Meeting

Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto announced a crackdown on online gambling and drug trafficking as he led his first cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting was attended by all 48 ministers, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, State Intelligence Agency Head Muhammad Herindra, and other state agency leaders.

“Serious threats to this nation include online gambling, illicit drugs, smuggling, and corruption. These issues must be addressed with strict legal measures and supported by reliable intelligence to present strong evidence. We need to mitigate these threats immediately,” Prabowo told his cabinet.

Online gambling, mostly operated by international syndicates, has resulted in financial losses for citizens, from low-income families to government officials and members of the national legislature, according to a recent government report.

The previous administration under President Joko Widodo had established a special task force to combat online gambling.

Prabowo also emphasized that alleviating poverty is among his top priorities.

“I have set up a new institution called the Agency for the Acceleration of Poverty Alleviation. This agency will identify problems and implement all social protection programs for those most in need,” he said.

The newly inaugurated president had previously met with each of his cabinet members individually, interviewing them before confirming their appointments, and held a group briefing at his private residence before their inauguration.

He plans to gather all 109 ministers, vice ministers, and state agency heads in Magelang, Central Java, for a four-day retreat starting Thursday to strengthen unity and improve cabinet coordination.

Tags:

Keywords: