JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia’s military has begun producing multivitamins to be distributed to children through its free meals programme, an official said on Wednesday, the latest expansion of the military into civilian life under President Prabowo Subianto.
Since taking office last year, Prabowo, a former special forces commander, has expanded military roles including in manufacturing medicines, delivering a free school meals project, and handling food security initiatives.
The expansion has sparked fears among students and activists that the world’s third-largest democracy could return to the military-dominated New Order era under authoritarian leader Suharto.
The government says it is part of its “national defence” of the pharmaceutical sector and that it is able to provide cheaper medicines and vitamins.
Deputy Defence Minister retired Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto on Wednesday symbolically handed over 4.8 million multivitamin pills produced by the military laboratory to 100 kitchens serving the government’s free meals in the capital, Jakarta.
The free meals programme itself has caused a public outcry due to food poisoning cases, affecting 9,089 children since its launch in January until September. Health organisations have called on the government to suspend the programme.
The government, which says the food programme is vital to fulfil the nutritional needs of Indonesian children, has apologised and continued to distribute the meals. It was one of Prabowo’s main campaign promises.
“These vitamins are designed to support the government’s free meals programme with production capacity reaching millions of pills,” Taufanto said.
The military will distribute more vitamins for kitchens outside Jakarta, he added.
Before producing vitamins, the military lab in July manufactured medication for public use that is being distributed by 80,000 state-backed cooperatives.
At Wednesday’s event, the military also handed over 17.4 million pills such as painkillers and antibiotics to cooperatives across Indonesia.
“As the military lab increases its production capacity, we can reduce the cost of production so we can offer medicine with a more affordable price,” Taufanto said.
The military also plans to manufacture other medicines for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, he added.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Alison Williams)
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