Remembering Ryamizard Ryacudu: Jokowi's Defence Minister Succeeded by Prabowo Subianto
JAKARTA — Military figure, former defence minister and retired General Ryamizard Ryacudu, former Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (KSAD), died on Sunday, 31 May 2026, at RSPAD. Ryamizard held a unique role in President Joko Widodo’s first term administration as he was appointed defence minister by Jokowi and later succeeded by Prabowo Subianto, who went on to become president after Jokowi.
Ryamizard was known as a general close to the PDI Perjuangan party. He supported Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo’s bid for the 2014 presidential election. During a Jokowi-JK volunteer briefing in Surabaya on 4 July 2013, Ryamizard stated he backed the PDIP presidential ticket of Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla due to his assessment of PDIP chairman Megawati Soekarnoputri’s integrity.
“Mrs Megawati is clean, straightforward, and practises genuine democracy. Coincidentally, President Soekarno, Megawati’s father, was close to my own parents,” he said.
Additionally, he said a leader’s duty is to unite their people and ensure their prosperity. These criteria led Ryamizard to support Jokowi for the 2014-2019 presidential term.
Ryamizard served as defence minister for five years before handing over the post to Prabowo Subianto on 23 October 2019. He had previously stated he was well acquainted with both Jokowi and Prabowo, particularly the latter as they were part of the same TNI cohort, graduating in 1974.
Ryamizard Ryacudu congratulated Prabowo Subianto, who was entrusted to continue his duties as defence minister for the 2019-2024 term. “I congratulate my friend Prabowo; we were in the same unit and rank. Now he is replacing me, alhamdulillah, it’s not much different,” Ryamizard said during his farewell to the Ministry of Defence staff.
Prabowo was also expected to adapt well to the Ministry of Defence environment. “He knows better; we adjust to the place. I adjusted everywhere, here adjusting to the Ministry of Defence, not the Ministry adjusting to us,” he said.