“We should start checking the health of future brides and grooms,” said the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) candidate and former Central Java governor.

“We need to pay attention to their ages too,” he added, saying he agreed with Indonesia’s current minimum age of 19 for marriage “as it means that they are mentally and physically developed”.

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“I didn’t say that,” Prabowo responded. “What I said was ‘which one is better, free internet or free meals, for poor people?’ I agree with free internet, but I won’t prioritise it over free meals, as poor people need to eat.”

“We must oppose dynastic politics, which is supported by those who control a third of Indonesia’s wealth, and who prioritise family interests above everything else,” Ganjar said in his closing statement on Sunday, referring to the universities’ statements.

“Five years ago, in the 2019 presidential election, I was on Jokowi’s campaign team. We were reminded not to vote for candidates who had dictatorial traits, had a track record of violence, and human rights violations. I agreed with what he said.”

Prabowo – a former special forces commander who went into self-exile following the downfall of his father-in-law, the late dictator Suharto – has been accused of masterminding the kidnapping of student activists and political dissidents in 1998 and being involved in rights abuses in Papua and East Timor

He denies the allegations, which are unproven. Yet during a debate for the 2014 presidential election, the first of two he lost to Jokowi, Prabowo did say he had been “following an order from” Suharto.

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Noting that he was committed to tackling sexual violence and providing free day care for working mothers so that “women can have equal salaries to men”, the former Jakarta governor did question Prabowo on his planned policies to protect women.

Yet Anies mostly used his time to interrogate Ganjar on the recent intensive distribution of social aid for the needy days ahead of the election, which critics have seen as an attempt to sway poorer voters.

“Social assistance is assistance for the recipient, not assistance for the giver,” Anies said. “This social assistance is provided in the name of the state. When I was governor, all social assistance packages were labelled as funded by the Jakarta regional budget, not in the name of the governor.”

Yohanes Sulaiman, a political analyst at the University of Ahmad Yani in West Java, described the final presidential debate as a “subdued” affair that had none of the “sparkle” of previous bouts.

The candidates’ talk of women’s rights was particularly “ironic”, he said.

“Despite all of the talk about ‘gender equality’, virtually all candidates only talk about women as ‘mothers’, as people who give birth to children, and that’s it. Nothing was said about their professional development as empowered women,” said Yohanes, who is an associate professor of international relations.

Meanwhile, Prabowo also took flak on Sunday for his comments about disabled people.

In response to a question about how to improve their lives, he said: “we need to collaborate with outside parties to find technology to help people with disabilities. Now there is new technology that can help them live independently and be able to work closer to normal people.”

“Still baffled, but not shocked, with Prabowo’s ableist statement in dichotomising ‘normal’ people and people with disability,” social justice activist Margianta SJD wrote on the X social media platform.

In his closing statement, Prabowo apologised to his rivals for any “unpleasant acts” that had occurred during campaigning.

“Our desire is to do the best for Indonesia. I consider [my rivals] to be my brothers. If we receive a mandate from the people, we will be national leaders for all Indonesian people, including those who do not vote for me, and those who do not believe in me,” he said.

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His apology was welcomed by supporters, including stand-up comedian Kiky Saputri, who said on X that she “thanks Prabowo for being so gentle and embracing everyone for the sake of harmony”. Others said it did not go far enough.

“I thought Prabowo [would] also apologise to the families of activists who are still missing,” Veronica Koman, an Indonesian human rights lawyer in exile in Australia, said on X.