Jakarta, Dec. 6 -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has made significant contributions to national development, serving 49 million citizens daily less than a year after its launch.

He made the remarks at an event marking the Golkar Party's 61st anniversary in Jakarta on Friday, responding to doubts expressed by several experts and academicians about the program's feasibility.

"Some professors, intelligent people, once said that the MBG will fail. The truth is that this program has catered to the needs of 49 million people on a daily basis as of today," Prabowo said.

He noted that the figure is roughly seven times Singapore's population, adding that the program has reached communities ac...