Surya Paloh Asks Prabowo Not To Prioritize NasDem Entering The Cabinet

Head Of NasDem Surya Paloh/PHOTO: Diah Ayu-VOI

Chairman of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, admitted that he had conveyed his wish to Prabowo Subianto regarding filling ministerial seats in the cabinet in the next five years.

To Prabowo, Surya asked Prabowo not to prioritize NasDem in filling out ministers, even though his party has now joined the Prabowo-Gibran government coalition.

"I told Pak Prabowo, NasDem gave him the opportunity and to all policies, his policies, to prioritize all political parties outside the NasDem party to enter the cabinet. This means that NasDem is not a priority. That's what I hope for," said Surya at NasDem Tower, Thursday, September 19.

Surya admitted that there was no problem if NasDem only got the rest of the ministerial seats which were still vacant after all the political parties of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) Plus got rations.

"We can feel how honorable the position of being one of the presidential assistants, whatever the nomenclature, including the cabinet, but no less honorable to give opportunities to other political parties. So, if possible, considering the nasdem is at the very end, at the very back," explained Surya.

Surya realized that NasDem was not the party that supported Prabowo-Gibran in the 2024 presidential election, but as the party that supported Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar.

NasDem only closed to KIM after the results of the 2024 presidential election declared Prabowo-Gibran the President-Vice President-elect. The self-awareness of not asking for ministerial rations, Surya acknowledged, as political ethics.

"Even if it can't be fully, but what remains as a commitment, consistency of attitude to continue to have the principle of appropriateness and propriety. So stick to the ranks of government, keep trying what capabilities are there from the ranks of the NasDem Party," explained Surya.

"Talking about chairs, ah, it's not NasDem's wish. It's just a dead number, at the very back. There is (or) no seat, we will definitely respect it. Hopefully it will also contribute, from one political party's attitude, that the seat is not above everything. To prove he is loyal, he wants to be together, he wants to help the government or not," he added.