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)