As the rupiah sinks, Prabowo says villagers don't use dollars

As Indonesia's currency kept falling, President Prabowo Subianto tried to calm the country with a line that instead went viral. On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the rupiah dropped to 17,720 to the US dollar and the Jakarta stock market fell 3.46 percent in a single day, part of a sell-off worsened by Indonesian firms being cut from global stock indexes. Speaking to villagers in East Java, Prabowo brushed off the alarm. As the South China Morning Post reports, he said the people worrying were those who travel abroad, not ordinary villagers.

"Villagers don't use dollars," he said, adding that "the ones who are having a headache are those who like to travel abroad." He insisted the country's "economy and fundamentals are strong" and there was nothing to fear "as long as Finance Minister Purbaya is smiling." Purbaya, for his part, tried to reassure markets there would be no repeat of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

The comment drew sharp criticism. Economists and many people online argued it missed the real problem: a weaker rupiah makes imported goods more expensive, and Indonesia buys a lot from abroad, including fuel, medicine, and parts for its factories. So even people who never touch a dollar feel the effect through higher prices. The remark landed badly at a moment when the cost of living was already squeezing households.

Why it matters

When leaders play down a falling currency, it can shape how seriously the government treats the problem, and that affects the prices you pay every day. A weaker rupiah reaches everyone through imported food, fuel, and medicine, not only travelers. Watch whether the government's actions match its calm words, or whether the gap between the two grows.