JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto has warned his Gerindra Party lawmakers against arrogance, urging them to keep the public’s trust by exercising discipline in their words, actions and public conduct.
The reminder was delivered by the Gerindra chairman during a closed-door meeting with party politicians at his private residence at Kertanegara, South Jakarta, on Monday (Sept 8) evening, only hours after he announced his first major cabinet shake-up.
The reshuffle, which saw five ministers removed, including finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and coordinating politics and security minister Budi Gunawan, came after a wave of protests and unrest fuelled by growing dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the economy and lawmakers’ perceived insensitivity over economic hardships faced by ordinary Indonesians.
Speaking after the meeting, Gerindra secretary-general Sugiono said Prabowo instructed party members now serving as lawmakers at the House of Representatives to be mindful of their attitudes. Prabowo, he said, also cautioned them against arrogance and conduct that could upset the public.
“Members of Gerindra at the House must be cautious, watch their words and behavior and avoid living excessively or in ways that may offend the public,” Sugiono said, adding that lawmakers must serve as credible representatives of the people.
The President, Sugiono said, also asked his Gerindra politicians to avoid flaunting their wealth and stressed the importance of humility, particularly in how party members conduct themselves in public.
“He reminded us not to show off, or as it’s called these days, don’t flex. It serves no purpose,” he added, as quoted in a press release from Gerindra. Sugiono said that Prabowo also called on lawmakers to focus on ensuring ongoing government programs are implemented effectively and reach the wider public.
“What matters most is that we successfully carry out the government’s programmes. Our duty is to safeguard and support them,” Sugiono said.
Among those spotted at the event were prominent Gerindra politicians, including House deputy speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad.
Lawmakers Rahayu Saraswati, Habiburokhman, Bob Hasan and Ahmad Dhani, as well as People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Ahmad Muzani were also seen attending the meeting.
The meeting follows more than a week of widespread protests fuelled by economic inequality and a lavish monthly housing allowance for lawmakers that escalated into rioting and looting after the police ran over and killed a motorcycle taxi (ojol) driver in one violent protest late last month. The homes of four lawmakers of the pro-government National Mandate Party (PAN) and NasDem Party, whose arrogance or tone-deaf remarks about their housing allowance had sparked public anger, were pillaged by angry mobs on Aug 30.
The four lawmakers, Ahmad Sahroni and Nafa Urbach from NasDem and Surya “Uya Kuya” Utama and Eko “Patrio” Hendro Purnomo from PAN, are now under investigation by the House ethics committee after their own parties suspended them from their roles in the legislature.
Then-finance minister Sri Mulyani also became personally affected by the unrest when angry mobs ransacked her house on Aug 31, which helped fuel rumoUrs at the time that she would resign from her post.
It was not clear why she became a target for the looting, but a deepfake video was circulated featuring a speech that had been manipulated so that she said teachers were a state burden. She has since clarified that she said nothing detrimental about teachers.
Sri Mulyani, who is not a member of any political party, was replaced by economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Monday in the first major cabinet reshuffle under the administration of Prabowo. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
