Prabowo Hands Over 10 Motorboats Fulfilling Promises To Pangandaran Fishermen

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right) accompanied by General Chairperson of Pandu Laut Nusantara, former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Susi Pudjastuti/ANTARA PHOTO/Adeng Bustomi/Spt.

AKARTA - Gerindra Party Chairman Prabowo Subianto fulfilled his promise to a group of fishermen in Pangandaran, West Java, by handing over 10 wooden boats and their attached motor engines directly to them.

Prabowo explained that fishermen are an important component in the national economy so that empowerment of them is crucial.

"Our fishermen are quite skilled. The goal is to support the empowerment of fishermen. Fishermen are an important component in the economy," Prabowo Subianto said after directly trying out the motorboat given to fishermen in Pangandaran, West Java, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, October 11.

In Pangandaran, Prabowo met a group of fishermen with the General Chairperson of the Nusantara Sea Pandu Susi Pudjiastuti. The boat handover event was carried out together by Prabowo and Susi at the Aquarium Piamari Beach, Pangandaran.

"All Pangandaran people pray for Pak Prabowo to be healthy and return to Pangandaran again. So, we know Mr. Prabowo is a presidential candidate from the Gerindra Party, the Pangandaran community loves Pak Prabowo? So, we welcome Pak Prabowo with joy," said Susi during the handover ceremony in front of fishermen and the Pangandaran community.

Residents who fill the Aquatic Piamari Beach compactly answer Susi's question: "Sayang!"

Prabowo, who heard that, also thanked the Pangandaran community.

"Thank you for the great welcome. Every time I come, I see there is a great spirit of concern for protecting the environment, protecting the beach, protecting the sea. This really needs to be respected and proud because we know this nature is a gift from the Almighty," Prabowo said.

Several fishermen who got the motorboat also admitted that the assistance felt like a dream.

"I have been a fisherman for about 20 years. Alhamdulillah, today I received very good help, the engine and boat are still new. I thank Mr. Prabowo very much," said Sutarto, a fisherman from Putrajinggan, Pangandaran.

Sutarto said the assistance could help him go to sea because so far he had to ride someone else's motorboat to find fish.

Another fisherman, Yusuf, who has been working for 25 years looking for fish at sea, said the assistance made it easier for him to go to sea in poor weather conditions.

"Imagine I've been at sea for 25 years and now I can get a free motorboat, it's said what it looks like, yes, it's like a dream," he said.

Yusuf said bad weather was one of the obstacles in going to sea so fishermen needed boats and machines that worked well.

"Sometimes the rope can be separated, the screen too. So, of course we need a good ship. Well, this is good for Pak Prabowo's motor boat. So far, the only thing that has been concerned with us is that Pak Prabowo is rarely new," said Yusuf.

He hopes that Prabowo will consistently help small fishermen, including if he is later elected as president in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

In Pangandaran, Prabowo and Susi had sailed in the waters around Aquarium Beach trying out the boats given to the fishermen. They sailed for about 15 minutes to the East Coast of Pangandaran.

In this activity, Prabowo also saw ponds managed by fishermen and visited the nature reserve in Pangandaran.