P

resident Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s Cabinet was finally announced on Sunday. At first glance, most of the ministers have been aptly positioned; they have the requisite background knowledge and experience. It'€™s not clear whether all the names in the Cabinet have been checked by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), but hopes are high.

Jokowi aspires to show people that his ministers are ordinary people. The fact that Jokowi and all his deputies chose to wear white shirts says a lot about their vision. At big moments likes this, white becomes more than a color. Its symbolism suggests the wearer has the power to touch people, serve and take advice. It is like a sheet of paper; you can put onto it whatever you want. If mental revolution is the goal, then everything written on that paper will bear that spirit.

When the new ministers'€™ names were called out, they almost ran to take their place at Jokowi'€™s and Jusuf Kalla'€™s side (most of them, anyway). It moves me a lot to see people showing such enthusiasm at such a moment. Add to that their old age and the gesture becomes even more sentimental. They seem irresistibly ready to embrace the heavy tasks before them. Despite not knowing what the future has in store, they ran forward without a doubt.

What is more, the name '€œKabinet Kerja'€ (Working Cabinet) convincingly shows us that this group of people is there to work, not just to have their names stuck on a list and sit behind a desk. To quote Shakespeare, '€œWhat'€™s in a name?'€

Euphemism is common in Indonesia; names are made beautiful so as to gloss over what the job is all about. With Jokowi, however, names are true to nature; if he calls it a '€œKabinet Kerja'€, it is an indication that he is going to work for the good of the people.

Lastly, an economist named Ichsanurdin Mursi said on tvOne just minutes after the announcement that Jokowi'€™s Cabinet was ill-structured; according to him, the correct practice is to initiate from ministers to coordinating ministers.

What sets Jokowi apart from the crowd is that he breaks protocol and will continue to do so. He breaks rules, most notably with his blusukan or impromptu visits to reach out to the wider population. If a Cabinet can work effectively, why take issue with how it comes into being?

To sum up, Jokowi has, along with his deputies, impressed us by putting on a white shirt, by running and with the names in the Cabinet. This is a good start to embodying the spirit of mental revolution. On the other hand, we have to bear in mind that a good start often goes awry; therefore, we have to keep reminding them of their promises, keep supporting them and, most importantly, keep our fingers crossed.

Jevri Pasau Baso
Makassar