Bima Mayor Aji Man Defends Wife's Appointment as Health Agency Secretary
Bima Mayor A Rahman, known as Aji Man, has spoken out regarding the controversy over the appointment of his wife, Badrah Ekawati, as Secretary of the City Health Agency. Aji Man had previously come under scrutiny after appointing his brother-in-law, M Auwalyah, as Head of General Affairs at the Regional Secretariat of Bima City.
Aji Man stressed that the entire appointment process for officials within the Bima City Government adhered to applicable civil service mechanisms and was not influenced by family ties. He noted that his wife has been a civil servant since 1993, long before he entered politics.
“The entire appointment process went through the Baperjakat (Agency for Consideration of Positions and Ranks). It used a meritocracy system, with technical approval from the BKN (National Civil Service Agency),” Aji Man said in a statement on Saturday (4/7/2026).
“I am aware that not everyone will be satisfied. For me, dissatisfaction is part of democracy. My job is to answer it with work, not with promises,” he added.
Aji Man stated that he prioritises the principle of fairness over closeness. According to him, employees who violate regulations will be processed according to the rules, while high-achieving civil servants will receive appreciation regardless of family ties.
Aji Man emphasised the importance of competence, integrity, and work performance as benchmarks for job placement. Regarding his wife’s appointment as Secretary of the Health Agency, he said that a civil servant’s performance assessment refers to the Employee Work Targets (SKP).
“What assesses a civil servant is their SKP, their work results, their attendance, their integrity. Not their marital status with me,” he said.
“If everything were based on family elements, then every decision would certainly favour my family. Precisely because of that, family members of officials who are civil servants must prove themselves professionally,” he added.
Aji Man also responded to accusations that his family dominates the bureaucracy in the Bima City Government. He explained that he comes from a large family of 21 siblings from three mothers, with 10 sisters.
He said only three of his sisters have husbands who are civil servants, and all of them have already retired. Meanwhile, the husbands of the other seven sisters are not civil servants.
“So it is not true if there is an assumption that my family dominates the bureaucracy,” he said.
Aji Man urged the people of Bima City to give every civil servant the opportunity to serve according to their respective abilities and competencies. He also asked the public not to judge them because of family relationships.
“My life principle is Maja Labo Dahu. Malu berbuat salah, takut melanggar aturan (ashamed to do wrong, afraid to break the rules). I instil this principle in my children and wife. I also demand this from all civil servants. My family must be the first to set an example,” he concluded.