Anton the 'poorest' Cabinet minister

Anton the 'poorest' Cabinet minister

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With Rp 389 million (US$43,000) in assets, Minister of
Agriculture Anton Apriyantono is the "poorest" of 11 Cabinet
members whose wealth has been verified by the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK).

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie has Rp
1.1 trillion in assets, making him the wealthiest of the 11
ministers verified by the KPK.

Anton's wealth includes a house and several plots of land in
Bogor with a total value of Rp 224 million, household utensils, a
car and savings of Rp 42 million.

"I bought my house in the 1980s. It is a BTN house," he said,
referring to a house in an inexpensive housing complex.

Anton had been a lecturer at the Bogor Institute of
Agriculture (IPB) for over 20 years until being appointed
agriculture minister by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last
October.

Anton, who earned his PhD from the United Kingdom's Reading
University, said he bought several plots of land from farmers.

"As an IPB lecturer, I often interacted with farmers. They
offered me the land when they needed money. I let them use the
lands to grow crops, but I do sometimes visit them," he said
during a press conference at the KPK office in Jakarta on Friday.

Anton is known for his modest lifestyle. He has refused to use
the Volvo car provided for all Cabinet ministers, saying Volvo is
too luxurious for his taste.

Health minister Siti Fadilah Supari has Rp 4.4 billion and
$28,500 in assets, while State Minister for Public Housing M.
Yusuf Asy'ari has Rp 13.2 billion.

Siti, who owns properties valued at Rp 3.7 billion, three cars
valued at a total of Rp 330 million, jewelry valued at Rp 150
million and bank deposits of Rp 469 million and $28,500, said she
was not rich.

"I am a heart specialist. I work for nearly 24 hours a day.
Among my colleagues, I am not considered rich," she said at the
same press conference.

The KPK also announced on Friday the wealth of State Minister
for Youth Affairs and Sports Adhyaksa Dault (Rp 12.6 billion),
Minister of Finance Jusuf Anwar (Rp 3.2 billion and $805,000),
Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman (Rp 3.8
billion) and Minister of Trade Marie Elka Pangestu (Rp 14 billion
and $111,000).

As many as 34 of the 37 members of Susilo's Cabinet have
submitted their wealth reports to the KPK as of Friday. However,
the commission has only verified 11 of the reports.

Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono and Minister of Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries Freddy Numberi have said they will turn in
their wealth reports by the end of this month.

There was no word from Minister of Industry Andung
Nitimihardja on why he failed to meet the Nov. 21 deadline set by
President Susilo to submit the reports.

KPK deputy chairman Sjahruddin Rasul said his commission had
reported to the President the developments with the ministers'
wealth reports.

"We will file another report with the President next month.
The President will impose sanctions if the ministers fail to meet
a Dec. 20 deadline," he said.