JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto replaced Foreign Minister Sugiono with a career diplomat and overhauled key economic portfolios in a Cabinet reshuffle on Oct 1 that comes just two weeks after the departure of the finance minister.
Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, a veteran diplomat and a vice-minister for foreign affairs prior to the reshuffle, will succeed Sugiono, a close political aide to the President. He was sworn in at the presidential palace in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, Sugiono will be reassigned as Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs. Sugiono, who concurrently serves as secretary-general of the ruling Gerindra party, takes over from Pratikno, a close political ally of former president Joko Widodo.
The 15 changes announced in all, taking effect immediately, comprise three coordinating ministers, two ministers, five deputy ministers, two agency heads, two deputy agency heads and the national police chief.
In other changes, Muhammad Sarmuji was sworn in as Industry Minister, replacing Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. And Commission-General Suyudi Ario Seto, head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), takes over as the country’s police chief, replacing General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who will become the Presidential Chief of Staff.
The latest Cabinet shakeup comes amid mounting economic challenges stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and other geopolitical tensions.
The reshuffle also follows domestic scrutiny over Jakarta’s foreign policy manoeuvres. Earlier this year, Prabowo’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative drew criticism from some quarters in Indonesia, particularly after the US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Feb 28.
“The global situation today is far from simple, so the challenges we face are enormous,” Arrmanatha told reporters on Oct 1.
“We are also grateful that Indonesia’s foreign policy has always been consistent. So whoever serves as foreign minister, the reference point is clear – our laws.”
The appointment of Arrmanatha is largely seen as a move to steady the diplomatic ship. He previously served as Indonesia’s ambassador to France and the United Nations. From 2014 to 2019, he was the foreign ministry’s spokesman under then-minister Retno Marsudi.
As Indonesia’s ambassador to the UN, he played a prominent role in articulating Jakarta’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He later represented Indonesia on issues including the war in Gaza. Experts note he has built a strong reputation for skilfully navigating the country’s non-aligned stance, condemning aggression without alienating major powers like Russia or the West.
Prior to his promotion, Arrmanatha served as one of three deputy foreign ministers assisting Sugiono, with responsibilities including multilateral diplomacy and foreign policy issues.
Professor Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law expert at the University of Indonesia, expressed hope that the new leadership at the foreign ministry would enhance internal coordination and more effectively leverage institutional memory by tapping the existing bureaucracy.
“Currently, there is a gap in utilising this historical knowledge to maintain consistency with established policies, both of the ministry and the government at large,” Prof Hikmahanto told The Straits Times, referencing to a 2024 maritime agreement blunder.
During Prabowo’s first official overseas trip to Beijing in November 2024, Jakarta and Beijing signed a maritime agreement that controversially mentioned an understanding on “joint development in areas of overlapping claims”.
The wording in the agreement took the international community by surprise and drew furious reactions.
Critics warned that adopting the phrase “overlapping claims” could inadvertently legitimise Beijing’s expansive territorial assertions in the South China Sea, which are disputed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam, while undermining Indonesia’s ability to assert its own sovereignty in the North Natuna Sea.
Said Hikmahanto: “With a career diplomat now at the helm, the expectation is for better-informed policy alignment and clearer communication of Indonesia’s long-standing positions to the President.” - The Straits Times/ANN
