Prabowo's 'Afraid' Retirement Kick Ended In Appointment As Minister Of Finance

Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadive (photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Purbaya Yudhi Sadive conveyed a unique story the day before he was appointed Minister of Finance (Menkeu).

At that time, he admitted that he had 'scared' President Prabowo Subianto for a change of power if the direction of economic policy was not changed immediately.

He admitted that he had been summoned by the Head of State along with about four other people to Hambalang, Bogor, on Friday, September 5. At that time, he said, Prabowo gave an explanation of up to three hours.

The next day, Saturday, September 6, Prabowo again gave an explanation. During that time, Purbaya was silent without responding.

On the third day, Sunday, September 7, Purbaya and four other people gathered again in Hambalang. At that time, he didn't want to be silent anymore.

"On Sunday, I didn't say anything, yes, there was no chance to talk anymore. When I met him, the meeting was the five of them. Here, like this, like this, I said earlier, I was scared, 'February sir (will change power),' 'Oh, is that right?' Now, Recipe to my success, we are afraid of him," said Purbaya at the Jakarta Convention Center, Thursday, October 9.

On that occasion, Purbaya provided economic data from the 2nd President Suharto to the 7th President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). According to the Minister of Finance, there is a period of economic expansion of about seven years and a period of recession or economic downturn of about one year.

Purbaya explained that if the authorities made the wrong decision during the decline or economic crisis, it was feared that there could be a change of power. He considered that was the time when the 2nd President Suharto and 4th President Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur fell.

According to Purbaya, the period of economic decline in the era of the 6th President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2008-2009 and the era of the 7th President Jokowi in 2016 could avoid changing power due to him providing input to the government at that time.

"The economy fell, he fell. Luckily there was me," he said.

It turned out that after conveying all these things, the next day or on Monday, September 8, Prabowo inaugurated him as Minister of Finance. Purbaya replaces Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who has served for 14 years.