Waiting For Ministers To Be Reshuffled By Jokowi

President Joko Widodo (Photo: Twitter @jokowi)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo does not seem to want to rush to determine the names of ministers in Volume 2 of Reshuffle. It has been almost a week that the president's discourse is going to inaugurate a new minister, but until now the reshuffle has widened not only in the two ministries.

Six ministerial positions appear in the public sphere including top positions at the Ministry of Education and Culture-Research and Technology and the Ministry of Investment. However, the question of the names being considered for replacement is still vague.

Regarding the new ministerial candidate, so far there have been two people who have publicly acknowledged being summoned by the Palace amid the reshuffle issue, namely members of the NasDem faction, Rapsel Ali, and young NU figure Witjaksono. Both are reportedly candidates for the Minister of Investment.

In addition, as is well known, the PKB elite Luqman Hakim, the government coalition party, mentioned the minister to be reshuffled with the initials M. There were at least four cabinet members whose initials were M, namely Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi and Chief of Staff to the President (KSP) Moeldoko.

Then PAN speculation entered the coalition. This speculation is in line with the initial information of the cabinet members who will be reshuffled. PAN is said to be filling the post of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs or the Minister of Transportation (Menhub). The Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs is now Muhadjir Effendy, while the Minister for Transportation is held by Budi Karya Sumadi.

Political observer Karyono Wibowo assesses that not all ministers with the initials M will be replaced by Jokowi. According to him, Muhadjir is still strong in the Advanced Indonesia cabinet. Meanwhile, Moeldoko, it seems that the president still needs him as the chief of the Staff to the President.

"In fact, looking at the recent incident where Moeldoko was asked by Jokowi to explain resolving the TMII, then the land conflict. It seems that Jokowi still believes in it. I think that is a signal that Jokowi still needs Moeldoko as the chief of Staff to the President," said Karyono to VOI, Monday, April 19.

So who is the most worthy to be reshuffled by the President?

Political observer Karyono Wibowo assessed that currently, Indonesia is in need of ministers whose performance is extraordinary amid extraordinary challenges. For example, facing the industrial revolution 4.0 is also an extraordinary condition for the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Karyono, the minister who deserves to be reshuffled is the Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

"This requires an extraordinary capacity of the minister's performance, therefore some ministers who are not good enough, for example, the minister of agriculture, can also be reshuffled," said Karyono when contacted by VOI, Monday, April 19.

Karyono assessed that the role of the minister of agriculture is very important, especially in making the food sector strategic. "This is how to have a minister who can realize agricultural sovereignty so that we have food security, not imports. Then agricultural commodities must be at least surplus, not imports, this is important. So the minister is not just changing the minister, there is no progress sami mawon (much the same, red) still imports," he explained.

The Executive Director of the Indonesia Public Institute (IPO) considers that the Minister of Agriculture must also pay attention to the fate of the farmers. What is the ministry's policy that protects farmers both in life and their rights as farmers.

"The number of our farmers is decreasing over time. That must also be a serious concern of the minister of agriculture," he said.

Second, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Sofyan A Djalil. According to him, the policy is not enough just to distribute certificates.

"This is vital to national land. Soekarno said that justice rights to land are like trees without roots, buildings without foundations. So it's not just giving away certificates, but how to fulfill the obligations of citizens that every citizen has rights to land and must be protected from the hands of industry," explained Karyono.

Third, namely the Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi. According to him, Lutfi really deserves to be removed because his policy is only concerned with a handful of groups. Lutfi's name is also referred to as a minister who deserves to be replaced.

"Trade Minister Lutfi, if he does not have an independent policy, a national product protection policy I think he deserves to be replaced," said Karyono.

"If it only benefits a handful of people, just be a businessman outside, there is no need to become a minister. Because the minister's job is to benefit and the welfare of the Indonesian people. His policy should not only be concerned with the interests of a handful of people," he added.

Fourth, is the Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Areas and Transmigration (Mendes PDTT) Abdul Halim Iskandar. "The Ministry of Health is also underperforming, it needs to be reshuffled," he said.

Minister of Villages, according to Karyono, is also very vital because the population of many people in Indonesia live in rural areas. Then as a source of food, energy sources, and even customs, sources of resources are from the village.

"There needs to be a revolutionary policy to improve the welfare of the village community and build village independence. If the village is strong, the country is strong. The village community is prosperous, the urban community is also prosperous. In my opinion, the minister needs to evaluate it," said Karyono.

Fifth is the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) Tjahjo Kumolo. According to him, Tjahyo is more suitable to lead the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is now occupied by Tito Karnavian.

"Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB), Mr. Tjahjo is certainly needed even though his performance has not been maximized. Actually, Tjahjo is more suitable to be the minister of home affairs," said Karyono.

Meanwhile, Tito Karnavian, he said, is more suitable to fill the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) post. "Tito, who has a background as a former National Police Chief, has successfully dealt with terrorism, security issues certainly have experience in the field of investigation. I think this is precisely the case at Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, where in the midst of the increasing number of civil servants who are exposed to the ideology of religious extremism," Karyono explained.

"It fits right there, Tito. It's better if the switch is more fitting, the movement can be faster as expected by the president," he continued.

Finally, namely the Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G Plate. As the Minister of Communication and Information, the Nasdem politician was deemed inadequate in his ability to lead the ministry.

"Even though it is not too bad, the work is still normal, not extraordinary. If you want to evaluate it, it is suitable to be reshuffled, maybe it will be shifted where it suits his ability. He is a businessman, in the House of Representatives in Commission XI in the field of economic finance can also go to the ministry of economy. For example, the Trade Minister replaces Lutfi. That is more correct," said Karyono Wibowo.

Previously, a political observer from Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University, Gun Gun Heryanto assessed that Minister of Research and Technology Bambang Brodjonegoro is definitely the first person to be removed by President Jokowi. This is because the ministry has been merged with the Ministry of Education and Culture.

"Clearly, Bambang Brodjonegoro is most likely to be reshuffled, it is certain that the research and technology has been integrated into the ministry of culture, maybe if it is still accommodated, it will focus on the authority of the nation's capital," Gun Gun said to VOI, Saturday, April 17.

Meanwhile, said Gun Gun, those who are prone to be reshuffled are the Minister of Education and Culture, Nadiem Makarim. Where in the history of the Ministry of Education and Culture it is an anomaly because usually the seat of the Minister of Education and Culture is given to large mass organizations with a political representation background.

"There are usually Muhammadiyah mass organizations. That's why yesterday during the first reshuffle, Mr. Jokowi had time to offer the ministry to Prof. Abdul Mu'ti but it was rejected. Because Muhammadiyah's position is usually a minister, this is also whether Mr. Jokowi returns to the politics of accommodation for key audiences, especially Muhammadiyah who arrived. today is not satisfied. Now, in my opinion, Nadiem will be threatened," he explained.

Then, thirdly, there is a new nomenclature based on Presidential Letter Number R-14/Pres/03/2021 regarding the ministry of investment. Gun Gun admits that he does not yet know whether the Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia will be promoted to investment minister or remain in his original position, or instead be removed by President Jokowi.

"I'm not sure if Bahlil is. Because the Ministry of Investment will be targeted by many. Big parties like PDIP, Golkar, maybe NasDem are also interested. Because this is a wetland all parties have a target. So, is Bahlil still in the line-up by the minister or shifted to another ministry? Or Bahlil can stay here, I see the potential for him to be shifted or replaced," explained Gun Gun.

Nevertheless, Gun Gun assesses that Bahlil has the potential to be removed from the Head of BKPM. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Investment is content by another figure.

"I see that the common thread is one of Jokowi's priority projects. I am sure that what is put here is that people whom Jokowi really thinks have very strong political backups and are loyal to Jokowi in addition to having a network to increase the quality and quantity of investment in Indonesia. So the ministry, recently it will be a struggle for the parties, especially the supporting parties which are then in power today," he said.