Jakarta, Oct. 20 -- Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has emphasized the need to avoid favoritism in law enforcement, urging officials to act with empathy, particularly when handling cases involving disadvantaged citizens.

Speaking at a ceremony in Jakarta on Monday marking the recovery of Rp13.2 trillion (nearly US$800 million) from a palm oil export corruption case, Prabowo recalled a controversial incident in which an elementary school student was arrested for allegedly stealing chickens.

"This case, which is absurd, is still fresh in my mind. You might also remember a similar case where a mother was apprehended for stealing plants. What happened to our legal enforcement?" Prabowo said.

At the Attorney General's Office (AGO) he...