Jakarta. Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto shared an evocative moment with Ginandjar Kartasasmita, a former minister in President Soeharto's era, during a rally in Bogor, West Java on Saturday.

Seated among prominent guests at the Sentul International Convention Center, Ginandjar was introduced by Prabowo as his mentor and a figure integral to his past experiences. 

He paid homage to Ginandjar's legacy, highlighting their shared history of dedication to the nation's progress.

"Mr. Ginandjar's presence here reminds me of our shared journey, working for the betterment of our nation. He was the national development planning minister at that time and I was an active soldier," Prabowo began.

One particular topic Prabowo told his audience was their mutual work to address issues in the impoverished province of Papua.

Prabowo recounted one occasion in which he brought around 30 tribal leaders from Papua to meet with Ginandjar in Jakarta to articulate their concerns directly. He commended Ginandjar's attentive approach during the meeting and the tangible solutions that emerged.

Speaking in front of his campaign team members, Prabowo said he learned immensely from Ginandjar’s exemplary leadership.

"It's crucial to recognize his contributions, often overlooked by many," Prabowo said.

Ginandjar served as the energy minister, chief economic minister, and national development planning minister under Soeharto from 1988-98.

He was a member of the Presidential Advisory Council during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration in 2010-14.

The 82-year-old goes down in history as the first speaker of the Regional Legislative Council (DPD) which was introduced in 2004. The DPD is a separate chamber from the House of Representatives and they together form the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), Indonesia’s highest law-making body.

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