Prabowo Talks About His Lucky Number 8 During Bali School Visit

June 7, 2026 | 05:11 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto shared a personal story about what he considers his two lucky numbers during a visit to SRMP 17 Tabanan, one of the government's People's Schools, in Bali on Sunday, June 7, 2026.Speaking before students, teachers, and government officials, Prabowo said the numbers 8 and 13 have repeatedly appeared throughout his life and career.He began by noting the significance of the number 17, which is closely associated with Indonesia's Independence Day on August 17."Our proclamation is on August 17. One plus seven equals eight. When I was in the military, the code assigned to me was 08. So the number eight has been very lucky for me," Prabowo said, according to a livestream broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat.The president added that another number that frequently appears in his life is 13, although he did not elaborate on its significance."There are two lucky numbers, 8 and 13. They always appear in my life," he said.Prabowo said he saw a connection between his visit to SRMP 17 Tabanan and one of his favorite numbers. He described it as a coincidence that the school he visited happened to carry the number 17.The president explained that only a day earlier, he had expressed a desire to visit a People's School outside Java."Yesterday, I decided that I wanted to see a People's School outside Java. I asked whether there was one in Bali. They brought me here, and it turned out to be SRMP 17. So perhaps it was already destined," he said.Upon arriving at the school, Prabowo was welcomed by students with cheers and a traditional Kecak dance performance. He was accompanied by Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, Deputy Social Affairs Minister Agus Jabo Priyono, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.The number 8 has long been associated with Prabowo. During his military career, he served in the Army's Special Forces counterterrorism unit, Satgultor-81 Kopassus, where he was assigned the identification code "08."The code remained closely linked to him during his tenure as commander of Kopassus from 1995 to 1998 and later became a symbol adopted by supporters during his presidential campaigns in 2014 and 2019.Several pro-Prabowo groups continue to use the number in their names, including volunteer organizations such as Prabowo Mania 08 and Garuda Nusantara 08.The association gained further attention after Prabowo was inaugurated as Indonesia's eighth president following the 2024 election, reinforcing what he describes as the recurring presence of the number 8 throughout his life.Read: Prabowo Meets Students at People's School in Bali's Tabanan