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[JAKARTA] WITH an approval rating of more than 80 per cent and a focus on populist programmes during his first 100 days in office (as at Jan 28), Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has won his country’s heart – but critics warned he will need more than charm to shield it from a looming economic slowdown.

The last three months have been a “warm-up lap” with Prabowo still operating in “business as usual” mode and yet to fully accelerate his ambitious goals, said Yose Rizal Damuri, executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

“There is much to be done and improved, especially now that the world is in a fragile state with Trump’s re-election,” he added.

In a recent report, Lloyd Chan, senior currency analyst at MUFG, warned that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could slow Indonesia’s growth to 4.9 per cent this year from an estimated 5.1 per cent in 2024.

Since his October inauguration, Prabowo’s approval rating has soared to 81 per cent, driven by his people-focused governance and swift action on campaign promises, such as the free meal programme, indicated a Kompas survey of 1,000 respondents nationwide.