Ministers fear losing face more than anything

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.