Ministers fear losing face more than anything

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Some ministers are likely quite anxious as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono may soon fire some people from his United Indonesia Cabinet after his first year in office.

Some of their days as Cabinet members may well be numbered, while some others are still trying their best to show off their achievements to the President in an attempt to retain their jobs.

"I am a bit worried because the President will likely dismiss one or two ministers from the Cabinet. I'm not so concerned about (losing) the status or the state facilities accorded me, but more about how people would think of me," a Cabinet member, who declined to be named, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The minister's anxiety is heightened because he is a non- partisan Cabinet member, whose appointment received no backing from major political parties; only his professionalism and clean track record were taken into account.

Another factor distressing him was that some groups have included him on their list of Cabinet members that Susilo should fire.

"I think I have done my best. The President knows how hard my job is," said the Cabinet member, widely known as a humble person with good professional record.

He added that the President asked him and his colleagues to present reports on what they had achieved and what problems they had faced over the past year.

Susilo has repeatedly said he would evaluate the performance of his Cabinet members each year. However, he has not yet unveiled any plan to change the Cabinet's composition, despite widespread rumors and predictions.

Also, public pressure is mounting for Susilo to replace his economic ministers following the much-criticized fuel price hikes.

State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Suryadharma Ali said the President had asked him to submit what he termed an achievement index for his ministry, adding that he would hand it in within three days.

Suryadharma, from the United Development Party (PPP), claimed he was not dismayed by the possible shakeup. "About the reshuffle, it's up to the President."

However, PPP deputy chairman Djuhad Mahya recently said the party had prepared a handful of possible replacements for Suryadharma and State Minister of State Enterprises Sugiarto, who is also backed by the PPP.

"We consider Suryadharma and Sugiarto as good and capable people, but in reality they have failed to contribute to the government. Therefore, if the President asks for them to be replaced, we will provide more party members. We have a lot better party members than them," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Earlier this week, Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari displayed her confidence that what she had accomplished would not disappoint the President, thanks in part to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael O. Leavitt.

"He (Leavitt) told the President that Indonesia had done its best in fighting polio and bird flu. I am very happy to hear that," she told the Post after accompanying the President in a meeting with Leavitt on Monday.

Aside from those two cases, Siti also claimed another achievement of her ministry was in providing major health services for Aceh's tsunami survivors.

"I may be the only minister who has had to deal with three international-scale problems," she said proudly.