Indonesia's Prabowo fires head of free meals scheme plagued by mass poisonings

Indonesia's Prabowo fires head of free meals scheme plagued by mass poisonings23 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKelly NgEPAThe multi-billion-dollar free meals scheme was a centrepiece of Prabowo's 2024 presidential campaignIndonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has fired the head of the agency responsible for his flagship free meals programme, which has been plagued by mass food poisonings and corruption allegations.The multi-billion-dollar scheme, a centrepiece of Prabowo's 2024 presidential campaign, aims to offer free meals to 80 million school children.But tens of thousands of children across the country have fallen ill since the programme was launched in January last year, leading to calls for it to be suspended.The sacking of Dadan Hindayana, an entomologist, comes a week after Indonesia's corruption watchdog filed a complaint alleging inconsistencies in budgeting across kitchens.Prabowo himself has come under fire over the programme, especially for its hefty price tag at a time when Indonesia is grappling with dwindling trade surpluses and a weak currency.The programme was recently scaled back – from six days a week to five – as authorities sought to mitigate the financial impact of the US' and Israel's war in Iran.Some critics have called for the programme to be suspended altogether.Early on Wednesday, officials from the Attorney General's Office raided the premises of the National Nutrition Agency in charge of the free meals programme. Staff were blocked from entering the building.Dadan has been replaced by his deputy Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, a former journalist and a member of Prabowo's campaign team in 2024.While some Indonesians supported the change in leadership, others believe this is a cosmetic move that will not make a significant difference. "What [the programme] needs right now isn't just swapping people, but a total overhaul of the concept and system. Without that, it'll jus...