Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is investigating a 69-page academic paper that lists President Prabowo Subianto as one of its authors and argues that the country's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program should receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

The paper, titled "Nobel Peace Prize 2026 Free Meal Program by the National Nutrition Agency: Building Smart Business for Food Security Industry and Indonesia's Economic Growth", was uploaded to SSRN, an open-access digital repository where researchers can share academic papers before journal publication.

Government probes alleged use of president's name

Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Muhammad Qodari said authorities are looking into the inclusion of Prabowo's name in the paper.

"It is being investigated," Qodari told reporters at the Bakom office in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is also verifying the document after it included an attachment containing a ministry letter with the reference number ND/KIE/001/I/2026.

Head of the Ministry's Information Center Benni Irwan said the ministry is checking whether the letter was genuinely issued by the institution.

"We need to confirm first whether the letter submitted actually came from the Ministry of Home Affairs or not," Benni said.

The ministry has also contacted the Institute of Domestic Government (IPDN), which was mentioned in the paper's attachments. Benni said IPDN denied issuing the letter.

Paper remains available online

As of Thursday, August 6, 2026, the paper titled "Nobel Peace Prize 2026 Free Meal Program by the National Nutrition Agency Building Smart Business for Food Security Industry and Indonesia's Economic Growth"remained available on SSRN.

Prabowo's name was still listed as one of the paper's 10 authors. The other nine names were identified as lecturers from various higher education institutions.

The paper describes the MBG program, managed by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), as an initiative that combines social welfare goals with a business-based model.

It claims the program could improve public welfare while supporting Indonesia's economic growth and food security sector.

The government's investigation comes amid questions over the authenticity of the paper's authorship and supporting documents.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2116850/indonesia-probes-academic-paper-on-mbg-listing-prabowo-as-autho