Commentary: Indonesia’s new Cupboard and the political transformation of Joko Widodo

SINGAPORE: Indonesian President Joko Widodo reshuffled his 14-month-old Cupboard final week.

Whereas the transfer was extensively anticipated, the sweeping modifications got here as a shock. Six ministers have been changed.

Two – social affairs Minister Juliari Batubara and fisheries minister Edhy Prabowo – have been thrown out after they have been arrested over the previous month by the Corruption Eradication Fee (KPK) for receiving kickbacks, with their positions stuffed by Jokowi loyalists Sakti Wahyu Trenggono and in style Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini.

4 in ministries essential to Indonesia’s restoration from COVID-19 have been changed ostensibly due to poor efficiency. Well being minister Dr Terawan Agus Putranto has been dismissed, with the essential portfolio to be helmed by Budi Gunadi Sadikin, longtime banker turned deputy minister for state-owned enterprises simply earlier than this reshuffle.

READ: Commentary: Indonesia’s haphazard method created an ‘countless first wave’

Indonesian ambassador to the US Muhammad Lutfi replaces Agus Suparmanto as Commerce Minister, a place he used to carry below President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration.

Fachrul Razi was sacked from his place as Spiritual Affairs Minister and changed by civilian politician Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

Wishnutama Kusubandio’s tourism minister position shall be taken up by Sandiaga Uno.

SANDIAGA UNO’S APPOINTMENT

Nothing has drawn extra public consideration than Sandiaga Uno’s appointment. As Prabowo Subianto’s operating mate in 2019 presidential election, the duo had launched one of many fiercest, most polarising fights for the highest place in latest historical past.

Sandiaga additionally paired up with present Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan in a bitter 2017 election combat in opposition to the favored former Jakarta’s governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (affectionately generally known as Ahok), Jokowi’s shut ally.

Hypothesis surrounding Jokowi’s intention in embracing Sandiaga and appointing him into his Cupboard has been rife. Is it a part of Jokowi’s technique to embrace one a part of the opposition as a way to break up and weaken them?

Or does it show that he values variety of thought and goals to kind a “workforce of rivals” in his Cupboard? In spite of everything, Prabowo himself is onboard and serving as Minister of Defence.

My view is that this newest Cupboard reshuffle demonstrates how far Jokowi has come since assuming the presidency six years in the past and is suggestive of the legacy he intends to depart behind.

READ: Commentary: Expensive Indonesia, shaming the contaminated is a awful COVID-19 plan

READ: Commentary: Little smoke this haze season – however fires rage on in Indonesia

THE POLITICAL EVOLUTION OF JOKOWI

You need to keep in mind Jokowi rode into workplace on an anti-establishment platform. It is a man who offered himself as an outsider in 2014, in a rustic the place political elites and army males sometimes fill the highest place.

He was catapulted into the presidential seat barely 10 years after his first foray into politics as mayor of his hometown Surakarta, with out being beholden to any of the political events which have come to outline and dominate Indonesia’s political panorama for many years.

His rise to energy defied the percentages and captured the creativeness of many unusual Indonesians. Many heralded his win as a brand new period in Indonesian politics.

One key purpose why Jokowi received was his man-of-the-people repute. As governor of Jakarta, he had made many impromptu visits (blusukan in Javanese) to locations not normally approached by elites and talked immediately with the individuals.

With a clear repute free from corruption, he’s a no-nonsense, hands-on chief, and he consulted extensively and bought issues executed, whereas retaining robust help from unions and the enterprise group.

A NEW MAN

This picture went proper out the window after Jokowi received his 2019 re-election. He has no extra blusukan. He has been extra tolerant of outrageous behaviour.

Regardless of calls to take away Well being minister Dr Terawan Agus Putranto as early as March (when Dr Terawan pushed for adoption of a disputed stroke therapy he pioneered) that grew along with his extreme mismanagement of the pandemic, Jokowi took a wait-and-see method.

His imaginative and prescient is now extra narrowly targeted on what consultants name “new developmentalism”, with its concentrate on deregulation and its conservative, nationalist bent a departure from Jokowi’s previous reformist agenda and a nod on the previous methods of doing issues in Indonesia.

Indonesians now hardly ever hear immediately from Jokowi, who has disappeared into the fog of presidency paperwork and politics. Many now suppose Jokowi has changed into knowledgeable politician, targeted on deal-making and adept at distributing energy to fulfill elite pursuits.

In spite of everything, Jokowi had allowed the passage of amended legal guidelines weakening and ending the independence of the KPK in 2019, by requiring oversight by legislative and government powers and discontinuing investigation of circumstances after two years amongst different modifications. 

Indonesians took to the streets in mass demonstrations. Jokowi’s promise to treatment these modifications by no means materialised.

Robust considerations over the 2020 Job Creation Legislation (Omnibus Legislation), which abolished sectoral minimal wage, decreased severance pay and relaxes restrictions on outsourcing, mentioned to profit huge enterprise pursuits additionally noticed large demonstrations to no avail.

READ: Commentary: A lot for eradicating corruption in Indonesia

READ: Commentary: Indonesia has amended 79 legal guidelines to spice up funding and jobs. However that will but not be sufficient

These brewing sentiments have been lit in December 2020 when each Jokowi’s son and son-in-law entered politics. His son, Gibran Rakabuming, was elected Mayor of Surakarta. His son-in-law, Bobby Nasution, received the mayoral race in Medan, Indonesia’s third largest metropolis.

This sudden leap Jokowi’s instant members of the family have taken, after lengthy denying that that they had curiosity in shifting into politics, has created a hubbub. There was speak of the beginning of a brand new political dynasty.

It took President Suharto 30 years to advertise his daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana to political workplace and President Yudhoyono waited till the top of his time period earlier than his son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, was fielded within the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Rumours additionally started to swirl. Indonesian weekly Tempo journal printed an investigative report on corruption within the provision of social help suggesting a hyperlink between corruption within the Ministry of Social Affairs implicating Gibran, who has since denied the allegation.

The reality will take time to come back to mild. However these developments show how a lot Jokowi has advanced from being a recent breath of air to wanting extra like the identical political institution that has come earlier than.

On this context, the latest Cupboard reshuffle suggests Jokowi is eager to strengthen his affect over Indonesian politics and solidify his base. Each ministers knocked off attributable to corruption have been from PDI-P and Gerindra, the 2 strongest events in Indonesia.

Though he was PDI-P’s presidential candidate, Jokowi doesn’t management PDI-P. Actually, he has little affect over any political celebration.

However he has learnt how a lot manoeuvring among the many political forces to construct a coalition of help is required to carry the nation collectively, particularly after the massive 2018 demonstration in opposition to then Jakarta Governor Basuki, who turned a punching bag for conservative forces.

Maybe it’s no shock Jokowi deserted his want to reform Indonesian politics then.

THE ELITES HAVE A PLACE IN JOKOWI’S NEW DEVELOPMENTALISM

Simply hours after the brand new members of cupboard have been inaugurated, newly appointed State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Tohir uploaded an image taken 31 years in the past, of Erick Tohir, Sandiaga Uno and Muhammad Lutfi, to his Instagram account.

The picture revealed the trio, a era of Indonesia’s “loopy wealthy” pribumi businessmen, had recognized one another for a very long time, rising up in the course of the New Order regime, with companies which have thrived for the reason that fall of President Suharto.

They have been groomed within the Indonesian Younger Entrepreneurs Affiliation (HIPMI). They’ve shared backgrounds as enterprise capitalists.

And with influential positions overseeing the financial system, they no longer solely have clout throughout the Indonesian enterprise group but in addition leverage.

READ: Commentary: Indonesia’s clear power ambitions hit recent obstacles

READ: Commentary: Indonesia’s half-hearted effort to halt large Ramadan exodus is all kind, no substance

For now, an important determine of this triumvirate is Erick Thohir. He was supervisor of Jokowi’s reelection marketing campaign. 

Along with Lutfi, Erick based a joint firm, Mahaka Group. His older brother Garibaldi Thohir shares a enterprise with Sandiaga by way of PT Adaro Vitality, the second largest coal mining firm in Indonesia.

The trio shall be chief in cracking the whip on huge enterprise and serving to Jokowi realise his new developmentalist imaginative and prescient. Jokowi has made funding and development key targets within the grand design of his financial technique.

And he’s in a rush. He pushed by way of each the Job Creation Legislation (Omnibus Legislation) and the Minerals and Coal Legislation in 2020 which eased funding necessities – with out a lot objection from Indonesian political class.

One last thought. By means of this reshuffle, Jokowi can also be seeking to the longer term. He has educated his eye on the world of Indonesian politics in 2024 the place he might have alternatives to insert his affect past his presidency.

By co-opting formidable opposition figures like Prabowo and Sandiaga into his authorities, he in all probability hopes to restrain his opponents, particularly Jakarta’s governor Anies Baswedan and carve out a task for himself within the shadows after.

Made Supriatma is Visiting Fellow on the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.