He is a former general who was dismissed from the military amid allegations he was involved in kidnapping and torture. But today, Prabowo Subianto, frontrunner in Indonesia’s looming election, projects a very different image: a cute grandpa with awkward dance moves and a softer side.
At campaign events, Prabowo, 72, has wiggled his hips and waved his arms around – moves captured in viral videos on TikTok, where users call him “gemoy”, meaning cute. On Instagram, his account shows him snuggling and kissing his cat, and posing with his hand in a love heart gesture. Supporters wear hoodies with a sweet-looking cartoon version of the politician.
