New Cabinet line-up gets mixed responses

New Cabinet line-up gets mixed responses

JAKARTA (JP): Outgoing and reappointed ministers gave rather
muted reactions on Wednesday to the announcement of the new
Cabinet, with one of them hanging up his phone when asked to
comment on his dismissal.

"It's up to the State Secretariat. I have no time to comment
on this," outgoing State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Mahadi Sinambela said before snapping shut his cellular phone.

His sharp reply came only minutes after Cabinet Secretary
Marsilam Simanjuntak announced that the youth affairs and sports
portfolio was scrapped from the new Cabinet.

Outgoing manpower minister Bomer Pasaribu, was more relaxed
saying he had been preparing himself for the axe since day one.

"When I was appointed 10 months ago, I told myself that I
should be prepared to be sacked 10 times," he said.

Bomer said he would now dedicate his time to developing the
Center for Labor Development Studies, a nongovernmental
organization he founded three years ago to help improve labor
conditions in the country.

He also said he would return to the Federation of All
Indonesian Workers Union (FSPSI).

Asked to comment on his replacement, Al Hilal Hamdi, Bomer
said that despite his different educational background, the new
minister should be given a fair chance.

"I hope he (Al Hilal) will pay more attention to labor issues,
especially the high rate of unemployment, because the labor
sector has been worst hit by the economic crisis," he said,
referring to the government's decision to merge the
transmigration portfolio with the manpower one.

Earlier in the day, outgoing State Minister for Social Affairs
Anak Agung Gde Agung seemed relaxed when asked what he was going
to do if he was not reappointed.

"I still don't know for sure, but of course I will take a rest
and read a lot because for the past 10 months I have been working
around the clock," he told journalists.

Meanwhile, outgoing defense minister Juwono Sudarsono called
on his successor to apply maximum effort to raise soldiers'
welfare levels.

"The most important thing (the defense minister should do) is
to fulfill the basic needs of soldiers. Only 30 percent of
soldiers have their own home," Juwono said.

"To provide a minimum level of welfare for soldiers is
instrumental as they, along with laborers, teachers, farmers and
paramedics, are the country's central pillars," he added.

Elation

Unlike the elation shown by those picked to serve in past
administrations, reactions by those chosen on Wednesday were
subdued, perhaps by thoughts of the heavy responsibility in store
for them.

Minister of National Education Yahya A. Muhaimin told The
Jakarta Post in a phone interview on Wednesday that he saw
Abdurrahman's decision to retain him as "more of a responsibility
to perform a better job".

Meanwhile, new Minister of Finance Prijadi Praptosuhardjo
hoped the negative market response to his appointment was a
spontaneous and temporary sentiment.

"I hope the market can accept me," he told journalists at his
house.

He also said he was ready to cooperate and work together with
the other economic ministers and with Bank Indonesia, the central
bank.

The appointment of Prijadi, a close friend of Abdurrahman, was
quickly seen as controversial because he had previously failed a
central bank fit-and-proper test after he was proposed by the
President to head state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

Prijadi claimed to have heard about his appointment from his
chauffeur and the radio.

In Yogyakarta, new defense minister Mahfud MD was one of the
few who seemed to be openly delighted with his appointment.

"Sure I'm glad to be assigned to the job. It's an honor ...
But what I'm afraid is that the field is so strange to my
academic background," the constitutional law professor told The
Jakarta Post.

"I am appointed not as a member of any political party,"
Mahfud said when asked about reported past links to the National
Mandata Party (PAN).

Mahfud said he had been offered the job by the President on
Tuesday and was convinced shortly after.

"Gus Dur, accompanied by Pak Alwi (Shihab), met me in a
certain place and I was told (by the President) about this. I
asked Gus Dur, 'Gus ... how can I carry out the job.' And he told
me that I must be able to do so," he said. (team)