The "Scary" Joke at the Plenary Cabinet Session

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto praised the members of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres), saying the council is filled with high-quality figures. During the Plenary Cabinet Session marking 2 years of his government at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday (10/21/2026), Prabowo joked that the lineup of big names in Wantimpres could intimidate anyone who sees them.

"There is Pak Chairul Tanjung, Pak Wiranto, Pak Hatta Rajasa, whose white hair is no less, right? Just looking at this, especially on TV, it is scary!" Prabowo said. The remark was made in a closed session that was later broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel, Friday (10/23/2026).

According to Prabowo, if cameras panned toward where Wantimpres members sat, viewers would feel intimidated by the parade of national figures.

Chaired by Pratikno, Filled by 26 Cross-Sector Figures

Wantimpres is known to comprise 26 figures from various religions, professions, and generations. The council is chaired by Pratikno, with Hatta Rajasa as deputy chair. Their appointments are based on Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia Number 107/P of 2026 and were carried out at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday (10/2/2026).

Beyond the three names Prabowo mentioned, Wantimpres also includes prominent names such as Rocky Gerung, Anwar Usman, Ignasius Jonan, and Sinta Nuriyah Wahid. After the inauguration, Pratikno said the diversity of knowledge and experience among members is an important asset for Wantimpres in delivering quality advice to the president.

Deputy Chair Hatta Rajasa stated the council will strive to provide quality input to the President by gathering various perspectives from all members.

Six Working Fields of Wantimpres

Wantimpres has been formed with six working fields covering strategic sectors of government. The six fields are: (1) Geopolitics, Law, Human Rights, Defense and Security; (2) Economy and Finance; (3) Human Development and Community Empowerment; (4) Food; (5) Infrastructure; and (6) Downstreaming and Energy Transition.

The cross-sector lineup matches its membership, drawn from businesspeople, former ministers, economists, legal practitioners, and religious figures.

Prabowo's Message of National Unity

In his remarks, Prabowo appreciated the support of the national figures who joined Wantimpres. "Thank you for your assistance, your support for me. Thank you to the national figures who joined the Presidential Advisory Council — this is an honor for me," he said.

Prabowo judged the joining of the big names as a real manifestation of the spirit of national unity in facing the nation's challenges. He also admitted the government still has much homework and big challenges to resolve.

"The work is plenty, the challenges are plenty, our weaknesses are plenty — together we overcome them. We have to work as a team," Prabowo said, closing his remarks.