Jakarta, July 22 -- Taking a firm stance against rice adulteration, President Prabowo Subianto labelled the perpetrators as "the people's traitors," who were believed to gain trillions of rupiah annually by deliberately mislabeling lower-quality rice as premium.

"I say that (rice fraudsters) are traitors to the people and the nation. Their actions weaken Indonesia and make it poorer. I will not accept it!" the president emphasized during the launch of Red and White Cooperatives in Klaten, Central Java, on Monday.

Before an audience of district heads, governors, and village heads at the launch event, Prabowo instructed Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Attorney General S. T. Burhanuddin to act decisively against "rapacious" b...