New Cabinet line-up gets mixed responses<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing and reappointed ministers gave rather
\nmuted reactions on Wednesday to the announcement of the new
\nCabinet, with one of them hanging up his phone when asked to
\ncomment on his dismissal.<\/p>\n
\"It's up to the State Secretariat. I have no time to comment
\non this,\" outgoing State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
\nMahadi Sinambela said before snapping shut his cellular phone.<\/p>\n
His sharp reply came only minutes after Cabinet Secretary
\nMarsilam Simanjuntak announced that the youth affairs and sports
\nportfolio was scrapped from the new Cabinet.<\/p>\n
Outgoing manpower minister Bomer Pasaribu, was more relaxed
\nsaying he had been preparing himself for the axe since day one.<\/p>\n
\"When I was appointed 10 months ago, I told myself that I
\nshould be prepared to be sacked 10 times,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bomer said he would now dedicate his time to developing the
\nCenter for Labor Development Studies, a nongovernmental
\norganization he founded three years ago to help improve labor
\nconditions in the country.<\/p>\n
He also said he would return to the Federation of All
\nIndonesian Workers Union (FSPSI).<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on his replacement, Al Hilal Hamdi, Bomer
\nsaid that despite his different educational background, the new
\nminister should be given a fair chance.<\/p>\n
\"I hope he (Al Hilal) will pay more attention to labor issues,
\nespecially the high rate of unemployment, because the labor
\nsector has been worst hit by the economic crisis,\" he said,
\nreferring to the government's decision to merge the
\ntransmigration portfolio with the manpower one.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, outgoing State Minister for Social Affairs
\nAnak Agung Gde Agung seemed relaxed when asked what he was going
\nto do if he was not reappointed.<\/p>\n
\"I still don't know for sure, but of course I will take a rest
\nand read a lot because for the past 10 months I have been working
\naround the clock,\" he told journalists.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, outgoing defense minister Juwono Sudarsono called
\non his successor to apply maximum effort to raise soldiers'
\nwelfare levels.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing (the defense minister should do) is
\nto fulfill the basic needs of soldiers. Only 30 percent of
\nsoldiers have their own home,\" Juwono said.<\/p>\n
\"To provide a minimum level of welfare for soldiers is
\ninstrumental as they, along with laborers, teachers, farmers and
\nparamedics, are the country's central pillars,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Elation<\/p>\n
Unlike the elation shown by those picked to serve in past
\nadministrations, reactions by those chosen on Wednesday were
\nsubdued, perhaps by thoughts of the heavy responsibility in store
\nfor them.<\/p>\n
Minister of National Education Yahya A. Muhaimin told The
\nJakarta Post in a phone interview on Wednesday that he saw
\nAbdurrahman's decision to retain him as \"more of a responsibility
\nto perform a better job\".<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, new Minister of Finance Prijadi Praptosuhardjo
\nhoped the negative market response to his appointment was a
\nspontaneous and temporary sentiment.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the market can accept me,\" he told journalists at his
\nhouse.<\/p>\n
He also said he was ready to cooperate and work together with
\nthe other economic ministers and with Bank Indonesia, the central
\nbank.<\/p>\n
The appointment of Prijadi, a close friend of Abdurrahman, was
\nquickly seen as controversial because he had previously failed a
\ncentral bank fit-and-proper test after he was proposed by the
\nPresident to head state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Prijadi claimed to have heard about his appointment from his
\nchauffeur and the radio.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, new defense minister Mahfud MD was one of the
\nfew who seemed to be openly delighted with his appointment.<\/p>\n
\"Sure I'm glad to be assigned to the job. It's an honor ...
\nBut what I'm afraid is that the field is so strange to my
\nacademic background,\" the constitutional law professor told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"I am appointed not as a member of any political party,\"
\nMahfud said when asked about reported past links to the National
\nMandata Party (PAN).<\/p>\n
Mahfud said he had been offered the job by the President on
\nTuesday and was convinced shortly after.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur, accompanied by Pak Alwi (Shihab), met me in a
\ncertain place and I was told (by the President) about this. I
\nasked Gus Dur, 'Gus ... how can I carry out the job.' And he told
\nme that I must be able to do so,\" he said. (team)<\/p>",
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