JAKARTA: Speculation over a possible broader cabinet reshuffle has resurfaced as President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to swear in new appointees to his government on Monday (June 8) following corruption-related dismissals and amid growing concerns over the economy.
The ceremony on Monday will inaugurate Nanik Sudaryati Deyang (pic) as the new head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which oversees Prabowo’s signature free nutritious meal programme, alongside two new deputies, Maj Gen Trenggono and Agustina Arumsari, according to State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi last week.
The leadership change came after Prabowo last Tuesday sacked the agency’s head Dadan Hindayana and his deputies Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, who were later arrested as suspects in a corruption investigation tied to the programme.
Although Nanik and her deputies effectively started the new jobs last week following their appointments, their inauguration had been postponed to allow them time for internal consolidation and to ensure a smooth transition, said Prasetyo.
“We need them to first focus on [planning ways to] make improvements within the agency,” the State Secretary, who is also a politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party, told reporters last Thursday, a day after he announced Dadan’s dismissal.
Prabowo’s dismissal of deputy immigration and corrections minister Silmy Karim after he was named a suspect last Wednesday in a separate corruption case, prompted speculation about his replacement.
Prasetyo, however, said that there were no plans to fill the vacant deputy minister post, arguing that the Immigration and Corrections Ministry remains capable of functioning under the leadership of minister Agus Andrianto.
Attention has also increasingly turned to whether the upcoming ceremony could turn into a broader cabinet reshuffle, particularly within Prabowo’s economic team, as scrutiny mounted over the government’s handling of the economy after the rupiah and the stock market continued to plunge in recent weeks.
Rumours circulated last week among political and financial circles that Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa was preparing to leave his post for a top seat at the central bank, with former finance minister Chatib Basri and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin being tipped as his possible replacement.
Purbaya quickly quashed the rumours last week, while State Secretary Prasetyo on Saturday ruled out an imminent cabinet shake-up, including any changes to the economic team, saying the government’s current priority is to “strengthen coordination among economic authorities” rather than make personnel changes.
Regardless of whether it happens on Monday or later, political analysts say a cabinet reshuffle remains likely, citing pressure on the rupiah, stock market volatility and cost-of-living concerns as signs of economic strain requiring policy response.
“Changes in the economic team are becoming a necessity to stabilise the market,” analyst Agung Baskoro said, calling for the appointment of technocrats capable of addressing the root causes of the problem.
Analyst Lili Romli, meanwhile, said adjustments to economic ministries might be necessary amid ongoing market volatility and currency depreciation, warning that failure to act decisively could deepen economic instability and “spill over into political crisis”.
There were also speculations of a possible appointment of Labor Party chairman Said Iqbal to the cabinet at Monday’s ceremony, which would further expand labour representation in the government following the appointment of labor activist Muhammad Jumhur Hidayat as environment minister in April.
Said Iqbal is also the president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI). But State Secretary Prasetyo claimed that discussions on Said Iqbal’s possible appointment were still ongoing and did not confirm whether the labour leader would be among those sworn in.
“We are still discussing what role would be the most appropriate. It is likely related to his long-standing advocacy for workers and labour issues,” Prasetyo said.
Said Iqbal has declined to confirm or deny his possible appointment to the cabinet, urging the public to wait for an official announcement from the
Also included on Prabowo’s agenda on Monday is a ceremony where 17 new foreign ambassadors are expected to present their letters of credence to the President, according to the State Secretary.
The government has faced criticism over a delayed accreditation following reports that some incoming envoys had been waiting for up to eight months to submit their credentials. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
