Recently, President Prabowo Subianto claimed that Indonesia is the happiest country in the world. He based this statement on from a survey polls. The interesting part is, Prabowo is well-known for having criticized and didn’t believe survey polls in the past. So, what’s really going on and how seriously should people take this claim?
Pissed at the polls
The love-hate story between Prabowo and polls has been going on for quite some time. The most crucial period was during his presidential campaigns, as poll results played a major role in indicating voter support. Survey polls also served as a key source of validation for the candidates’ chances of winning the election.
After losing the 2019 election, Prabowo briefly rejected quick count results declaring Jokowi-Ma’ruf the winners. He and his running mate Sandiaga Uno, claimed that according to their internal surveys, they were the rightful winners. Prabowo even admitted that he didn’t trust surveys at all, saying they could be bought.
”As a result, Prabowo and his campaign team rejected the results of the surveys conducted by several independent institutions. According to multiple sources, Prabowo’s camp even accused the 2019 election quick counts surveyor of being ‘funded’ by his election opponent.”
The conflict didn’t stop there. He even said they could head to Antarctica to lie to penguins. What sounded like a joke actually reflected his serious distrust of the public data.
Loved the polls
Five years later, Prabowo won the election, running alongside Gibran, Jokowi’s son. His decision to join the cabinet and work with a political rival he had opposed for a decade was seen as a smart move. By doing so, Prabowo was able to tap into Jokowi supporters’ votes, ultimately securing 58% of the vote in the 2024 election.
Now, it’s not just Prabowo’s political status that has changed. His past relationship with surveys seems to have warmed as well, even become very friendly. He no longer holds the same negative sentiment toward surveys that he once criticized.
Prabowo recently claimed that Indonesia is the happiest country in the world, according to a survey. Earlier, he also stated that the people are satisfied with his government, again based on survey results. These claims were met with skepticism, given Prabowo’s past reputation for loudly opposing surveys.
Well, it seems there’s a clear inconsistency in how surveys are viewed. When winning, surveys are treated as legitimate indicators that shouldn’t be questioned. But when losing, surveys are seen as propaganda and manipulable with money.
”Anyway, It’s like an ex-couple who once dragged each other through the mud. But now they’re back together, claiming they love each other more than anyone else in the world.”
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