December 13, 2024
jakarta – Less than 50 days into his term, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s government is already grappling with gaffes by top appointees that some say are casting a shadow over his administration. .
However, observers remain divided over whether these events had far-reaching consequences.
Some predict such missteps will increase in Indonesia's fledgling government due to its inexperience in managing public expectations, while others see these as inevitable growing pains for any new leader .
Miftah Maulana Habiburrahman, the Presidential Envoy for Religious Harmony and Development of Religious Facilities, made headlines when she resigned on December 6, sparking public outrage after mocking an ice tea vendor.
At a public prayer event in Central Java province on November 20, Mr Miftah, known to his followers as Gus Miftah, mocked a man selling tea in the crowd, telling him to go outside Another area of the venue sells merchandise.Goblock”, meaning “foolish”.
The incident went viral on social media and internationally in the weeks leading up to Miftah's resignation. Netizens slammed his comments, saying they were an insult to those trying to make a living in the country.
Politicians are also involved. The Gerindra party, which Mr Prabowo co-founded and now chairs, condemned the preacher's comments, with even Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim weighing in.
Datuk Seri Anwar said on December 5: “It is strange that a person who understands religion and promotes Islam would make such insulting remarks.”
Previously, in October, Village and Regional Development Minister Yandri Susanto was criticized for using the ministry's letterhead to invite local leaders in Banten to an event marking the anniversary of his mother's death.
The minister blamed the lapse in judgment on his inexperience and said he was too busy to notice the letterhead as his staff prepared the invitations.
“I am still new to being a minister. I am still learning,” he said on October 23, according to news portal Bisnis Indonesia. “
Dr. Irman G. Lanti of Indonesia's Padjadjaran University said the two incidents were seen by some as a reflection of the weak process by which Prabowo assembled his cabinet.
“It is doubtful that he has conducted careful and thorough vetting of his appointees. This has led to different personalities joining his cabinet.
Dr. Erman added that it is likely that we have not heard the last of such incidents from Mr. Prabowo's cabinet, noting that its members have diverse professional backgrounds and bureaucratic experience.
Madh Supriyatma, a visiting fellow at the Yusof Issa Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, said the incidents involving Miftah and Yandri had similarities in that they were novice politicians unsure of their new positions. Mistakes.
“Things like this happen all the time,” Mr. Mader said, adding that other than those two incidents, things were relatively stable in Prabowo's cabinet.
He noted how the leadership team continues to function despite the president's whirlwind diplomatic tour in November, which saw him visit multiple countries including China, the United States and the United Kingdom in 16 days.
Asked about other major challenges facing Prabowo's government, Dr. Ilman said Mr. Prabowo must figure out how to get cabinet members from different socio-political backgrounds to share his vision.
Related efforts are already underway.
Just days after they were sworn in, former Defense Minister Prabowo sent members of his cabinet to a military training camp, where the leader spent time and attended a briefing outlining his vision.
But Dr. Erman said such efforts can only go so far, and the president may need to take greater steps to ensure his team is effective.
Dr Elman added: “It is not too far-fetched to imagine that Prabowo will have to reshuffle his cabinet soon… (He needs to ensure) that his cabinet will be an asset, not a liability.
Mader said this was particularly important because Mr Prabowo had not yet developed a “quick win” policy.
The much-hyped and touted free lunch scheme as a winning scheme has taken shape but no concrete action has been taken to implement it on a large scale, he added.
The plan, a cornerstone of Prabowo's campaign ahead of the February 14, 2024 elections, promises to tackle malnutrition by providing free meals to all children and pregnant women, with plans to reach more than 80 million people by 2029.
“Prabowo needs something that will allow him to take office and claim success in his first 100 days in power, which is getting closer and closer to January 20, 2025,” Mr Mader said.
Join ST's Telegram channel to get the latest breaking news.
