Jabat Menko Polkam Ad Interim, Menhan Sjafrie: Terima Kasih Jenderal Budi Gunawan

Minister of Defense (Menhan) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has been appointed by President Prabowo Subianto as Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) ad interim. (Diah-VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has been appointed by President Prabowo Subianto as Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) ad interim. Today, Sjafri started giving directions to officials at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

During the meeting, the Deputy Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Lodewijk F. Paulus, Secretary of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Lt. Gen. M. Hasan, and other echelon I officials were present. The meeting was held behind closed doors.

"I have just carried out an entry briefing with the main officials of the Coordinating Ministry for Politics and Security. They are the Deputy Coordinating Minister, the Secretary of the Coordinating Minister, and the five Deputys from the Coordinating Ministry, and the existing expert staff," said Sjafrie after a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs office, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, September 9.

Sjafrie replaces former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan who was reshuffled by Prabowo on Monday, September 8. Sjafrie is grateful for Budi's performance over the past few months.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the Police General Purnawirawan Budi Gunawan who has carried out his duties well as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs," said Sjafrie.

In addition, Sjafrie thanked the Special Staff of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, who according to him had contributed his energy, thoughts, and time to help the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

In this regard, the Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi previously denied the assumption that Budi Gunawan was removed as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs because of a series of riots on August 28'30 in Jakarta and several areas.

Pras, as Prasetyo is called, explained that President Prabowo Subianto dismissed Budi Gunawan as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, not for specific reasons, for example such as riots between the masses and officers in several areas, some of which were colored by arson and looting.

"Nothing then because of something very specific. This is all part of a thorough evaluation (from the President, ed.)," said Pras, Monday, September 8.

President Prabowo, as stipulated in Presidential Decree (Keppres) Number 86P of 2025, dismissed Budi Gunawan as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs as of September 8, 2025.