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INDONESIA’S President, Prabowo Subianto, has cut short his visit to Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit, citing domestic commitments rather than any errors by Malaysian broadcasters in pronouncing his name.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Hermono, clarified that the decision was informed by Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “It has no direct connection to the mispronunciation of his name by the commentator,” he said, as reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Last Sunday, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) apologised after a commentator mistakenly referred to President Prabowo as Joko Widodo during live coverage of the summit and related events at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. An internal investigation confirmed the error was accidental.
According to The Jakarta Post, Prabowo attended the ASEAN-US Summit on Sunday, where US President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific and pledged full support for Southeast Asia.
Although originally scheduled to attend the full three-day summit, Prabowo decided to depart on Monday afternoon after participating in the 26th ASEAN-South Korea Summit, the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, and a reception marking Timor-Leste’s entry into the regional bloc.
Following his departure, Indonesia was represented by several cabinet ministers, including Foreign Minister Sugiono and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. - October 28, 2025
