JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto has appointed Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as the acting coordinating politics and security minister following the removal of Budi Gunawan, an appointment analysts say signals Prabowo’s growing reliance on military figures and loyalists in security affairs.
The appointment was formalised through a letter signed by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi on Monday, which stated that Sjafrie will hold the post in an interim capacity until a definite replacement is named.
Sjafrie’s appointment came after the dismissal of Budi, a retired police general and former intelligence chief, from the post earlier that day in the first major cabinet reshuffle that followed a wave of protests and deadly unrest driven by public grievances over economic hardships.
The interim appointment marked the return of a military figure to the most senior ministership in the security portfolio, which is responsible for overseeing interagency coordination between the Indonesian Military (TNI), the Defence Ministry, the National Police and the Home Ministry, among others.
A retired Army general, Sjafrie is Prabowo’s long-time friend who graduated from the Military Academy in the same 1974 class and later served alongside him in the elite Special Forces (Kopassus), including during operations in East Timor.
He once served as a bodyguard of former president Soeharto, Prabowo’s former father-in-law.
Sjafrie, who was given the rank of honorary four-star general by Prabowo in August, remains a trusted figure in the President’s circle. In addition to the defense minister post, Sjafrie has been entrusted with multiple other portfolios in the current administration, including the head of the National Defence Council and the head of the advisory board of the task force for curbing illegal plantations and mines in forest areas.
Budi, by contrast, is associated with Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the sole de facto opposition party outside Prabowo’s coalition. B
udi briefly held the position of National Police deputy chief in the early part of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s presidency before leading the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) for the remainder of Jokowi’s two terms, when Jokowi was still a PDI-P member.
Political analyst Agung Baskoro from Trias Politika Strategis saw Sjafrie’s appointment as a signal of Prabowo’s possible reorientation toward a military-centered security approach, which would mark a departure from the current police-oriented leadership style in dealing with internal security threats.
“This appointment shows the President wants a firmer military hand in overseeing security affairs, including in handling demonstrations and unrest,” Agung said.
“With a military figure like Sjafrie, such situations are expected to be managed more firmly.”
He warned, however, that the post would ideally be held by a civilian figure, as was the case under former coordinating minister Mahfud MD during Jokowi’s second term, to ensure greater balance.
Before Budi and Mahfud, the jobs were mostly held by former military generals. Agung noted that Sjafrie’s appointment might also be aimed at ensuring that security matters remain tightly controlled within the hands of Prabowo’s inner circle of loyalists in order to avoid delays and lapses in handling potential disturbances.
“The President wants these affairs managed by his closest circle so he can maintain control and avoid the kind of delays seen during the recent protests,” he said, referring to alleged lapses that occurred under the leadership of former minister Budi.
Pointing to Prabowo’s preference for a stronger military presence in his administration, Agung said there is a strong possibility that the President would appoint someone with a military background as the coordinating minister. He said that Sjafrie could be a strong contender, given his seniority and long-standing ties with Prabowo.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) head Hasan Nasbi declined to give a definitive answer when asked whether Sjafrie's role in assisting Prabowo handle the recent unrest was a factor in his appointment.
He only said that the decision was entirely Prabowo's prerogative and that “he certainly has his own considerations in making such an appointment.”
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi meanwhile denied on Monday that Budi’s dismissal was because of the recent unrest in Jakarta and several provinces.
On his first day as interim minister on Tuesday, Sjafrie held his first briefing with top officials in his office, during which he stressed that his immediate priority would be “revitalizing” the ministry’s organisational structure in line with directives from Prabowo.
“The President has given me the authority to take effective and efficient steps so that all tasks within the ministry run smoothly,” Sjafrie said, adding that greater responsibilities would be delegated to deputies to strengthen coordination with ministries and agencies dealing with political and security issues. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
