Prabowo Subianto Credits Bahlil Lahadalia’s Javanese Wife for Softening Eastern Indonesian Traits

President Prabowo Subianto joked at the launch of the book "10 Karya Nyata untuk Negeri: Setengah Abad Bahlil Lahadalia" in Jakarta on 7 August 2026 that Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia’s character, often described as typical of Eastern Indonesia, had been "tamed" by his Javanese wife. He praised Bahlil’s intelligence, bravery and humor, noting that the minister could even make President Joko Widodo laugh. Prabowo recalled that he had not known Bahlil well when both served in the Jokowi administration, but after several meetings he observed Bahlil’s ability to adapt and engage with others, attributing part of this to his spouse’s influence.

The remarks were made during the book‑launch event at The Djakarta Theater in Central Jakarta, where Prabowo highlighted the rarity of such traits among people from Eastern Indonesia and suggested the wife’s influence was a key factor.