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From Ferdy to Rafael: Mahfud MD blows the whistle
Maruf Amin is now the vice president, but Mahfud MD steals the show.
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Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD (right), accompanied by then-health minister Terawan Agus Putranto (left), gives a press statement after holding a meeting in Jakarta on Feb. 2, 2020. The meeting was to discuss handling the security of hundreds of Indonesian citizens who had just been evacuated to Natuna District from Wuhan, China. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
W
hen Mahfud MD was appointed coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was elected for the second time, it was seen as a token post for the former Constitutional Court chief justice.
Mahfud had reportedly been tapped by Jokowi to become his running mate for the 2019 presidential election, given his popularity among reformists and, more importantly, members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), a major voting bloc. However, Jokowi chose then-NU supreme leader Maruf Amin at the eleventh hour instead, reportedly after a member of the ruling coalition made the case that Mahfud was simply not NU enough.
Maruf is now the vice president, but Mahfud steals the show. As the first civilian to lead the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Ministry, the Madurese former justice defies expectations of how a chief security minister usually behaves – his predecessors are former generals who were often extra cautious when giving public statements.
Not only is Mahfud an avid Twitter user, which makes a senior minister like him uncharacteristically accessible to the online community, he is also known for being relatively transparent about sensitive issues that garner public attention.
‘Whistleblowing’ minister?
One may challenge the notion that Mahfud has been fully transparent about everything. He was criticized for suggesting that the motive for the killing of junior officer Yosua Hutabarat by his superior, Ferdy Sambo, “could only be heard by adults”.
