Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has received an honorary four-star general rank from outgoing President Joko Widodo. But some are criticizing the move, citing Prabowo's record on human rights.

Prabowo has emerged as the apparent winner of the February presidential election.

The military rank given to Prabowo on Wednesday is the second highest in Indonesia.

The incumbent President Joko says the award is a form of appreciation for Prabowo's devotion to the people and the military.

But critics say that the honor is an attempt by Joko to maintain his influence over the next administration, though he denies this argument.

Joko said: "If this was a political transaction, I would have given the award before the election. It was given after the election, so it's a wrong assumption."

Human rights activists are outraged by the move, as Prabowo was discharged from the military in 1998 over allegations of involvement in the abduction of pro-democracy activists.

People in Jakarta have been expressing their discontent.

A woman said: "Actually, it's quite confusing because there was a revocation of his military rank before, and now it's been reinstated. He's even been promoted to a higher rank."

The alliance between Prabowo and Joko has strengthened in recent months after Joko's eldest son was named as Prabowo's vice-presidential running mate.

Preliminary results of the presidential election gave Prabowo more than 50 percent of the vote and a wide lead over his two rivals. The official outcome is set to be announced by March 20.