October 25, 2024
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto called on the newly installed members of his Red and White Cabinet to help prepare for the launch of his key programs during their first plenary meeting on Wednesday at the State Palace in Jakarta, adding a caveat that those who did not support his initiatives should withdraw.
Presiding over the meeting alongside Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Prabowo urged all ministers and institutional officials to move quickly to ready the launch of his trademark free nutritious meal (MBG) program at schools nationwide by January 2025.
“I’m not saying it can be done in a week, two weeks or three months,” the President said in his opening remarks. “But we can calculate, manage, allocate funds and mobilize resources. We’ll achieve the targets we have set.”
He also encouraged the cabinet to have faith that the free meals program would help “revive Indonesia”, and then said that any of those in attendance who still harbored doubts about the program should depart.
“I’m betting my leadership on this. I believe that nutritious meals for children and pregnant women is strategic,” Prabowo said.
“Those who don’t support this, please leave the government that I am leading.”
Read also: PDI-P suggests Prabowo review cabinet performance after six months
Big cabinet for big country
A day after taking the oath of office, Prabowo installed 109 ministers, senior officials and other members to his cabinet, which features a mix of newly appointed loyalists as well as previous appointees from the administration of his predecessor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Gibran’s father.
The expansive cabinet comprises 48 ministers, 56 deputy ministers and five heads of ministerial-level agencies, making it the largest since the Sukarno administration in 1966.
Prabowo’s move to have a big cabinet prompted barbs as well as speculation that creating a “fat cabinet” was an attempt to reward his loyalists through government positions. Other observers warned that the sizable cabinet could strain the state budget and increase bureaucratic hurdles.
The President acknowledged at the plenary meeting that his cabinet was larger than his predecessors’ but defended his decision. The big cabinet “should not be a problem” for the world’s fourth-largest country, he said, as long as it “works efficiently”.
At the same time, he also called on Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and other ministers to cut unnecessary costs by reducing ceremonial activities, foreign trips and nonessential gatherings, highlighting the need for efficient use of the state budget.
Stressing the importance of bureaucratic reform, the President also called on his ministers to cut down red tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks, give the best services to the public and not tolerate any underperforming officials.
“Let’s be honest and admit that our bureaucracy is very well known for being complicated and slow,” he said.
“Those who don’t obey and work hard, remove them immediately. Tell them to stay home instead of making it difficult for [the rest of] us.”
Building a team
The President also noted the importance of teamwork and consolidation as he reiterated his plan to hold a four-day cabinet retreat starting on Thursday at the Indonesian Military (TNI) Academy, nestled in a mountain range in Magelang, Central Java.
During the retreat, all ministers, deputy ministers and institutional heads are to sleep in tents and engage in various team-building activities designed to strengthen bonds among them.
“Team building is very important. A good team that can work together will make it easier for us to achieve the targets we set,” said Prabowo.
The former Army general is expected to lead the retreat’s brainstorming and coordination sessions to ensure that all cabinet members share his vision for the next five years.
The choice of Magelang was symbolic, as aside from the TNI Academy, the city holds historic significance as the site where Javanese Prince Diponegoro, a Muslim general, fought against Dutch colonial troops between 1825 and 1830.
“I think that’s enough to [raise] a tradition of courage, heroism and love for the homeland,” said the President.
Read also: Will Prabowo’s bloated cabinet face same fate as Sukarno’s?
No other details have been revealed about the retreat, but Cooperatives Minister Budi Arie Setiadi told reporters that cabinet members were scheduled to depart Jakarta for Magelang at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday on a Hercules military transport aircraft.
Each participant is to receive a set of training gear that includes camouflage jackets and pants, as well as a pair of tactical boots, according to Budi Arie, and their spouses are not allowed to accompany them.
“The important thing is team building and [unity], because the nation’s problems must be solved together,” he said.