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Editorial: 'What, no Batak?'
This was one of the less serious reactions to the announcement of the new Cabinet
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his was one of the less serious reactions to the announcement of the new Cabinet. 'No one from Maluku?' was another response from Facebookers in Ambon, who complained that a son or daughter of the Spice Islands should have secured the post in charge of maritime affairs and fisheries.
The Cabinet is traditionally the barometer of national acknowledgment of our wide diversity. But nowadays many believe every president will showcase basic differences at the helm of government. Further, our backgrounds are getting mixed; Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Hamonangan Laoly from Nias, for instance, was born in the Batak territory of Central Tapanuli.
Apart from the notable market reaction were the less tangible aspects of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's 'Working Cabinet'. People hailed the representation of largely poor eastern Indonesia, namely Bali's former deputy governor, Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Puspayoga, the cooperatives and small and medium enterprises minister, Industry Minister Saleh Husin from East Nusa Tenggara, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman from South Sulawesi, Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel from Gorontalo and Yohana Susana Yembise of Papua as women's empowerment and child protection minister.
Eight women ministers constitutes progress, including Yohana, Papua's first female professor, Indonesia's first female foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi and Susi Pudjiastuti, the CEO of airline operator Susi Air, who didn't even finish senior high school. Jokowi has reiterated his commitment to making the nation a maritime power and Susi, the maritime affairs and fisheries minister, is part of his 'dream team', with a former official of the Food and Agriculture Organization, Indroyono Soesilo, being given the post of
coordinating maritime affairs minister. Jokowi is relying on another unassuming woman, Siti Nurbaya, formerly of the Home Ministry, to clean up the mess in the environment and forests.
Most ministers were introduced on Sunday as 'hard working', evidently one uniting criterion of the President's selection. The several CEOs reflect Jokowi's fervent search for great managers, who like him, will share the businessman's impatience with unnecessary red tape and delays. Political compromise is seen in the political party representatives, notably Puan Maharani, who, as she suggested herself, will need to prove she was not merely picked as coordinating human development and culture minister because she is the daughter of Jokowi's party boss and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
One decision was clearly influenced by Megawati, with her close associate, former Army chief of staff Ryamizard Ryacudu, being named defense minister. Those exasperated at the appointment of such a hawk from the Indonesian Military can look at Jokowi's choice for coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister, Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, who is from the Navy. We will see if Commander-in-Chief Jokowi can silence the critics and lead progress in defense reform and end impunity in the security forces.
After Jokowi got his ministers to sing the national anthem 'Indonesia Raya' four times in Monday's ceremony, we ardently hope he gets his way for a Cabinet of 'fighting spirits' for national interests, regardless of who proposed them for the list.
