State Secretary Pratikno confirmed on Tuesday that Mahfud had made the request to him during a private meeting on Monday night.
oordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has filed a request with the State Secretariat to hold a meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo amid speculation that the senior minister, a vice presidential candidate, is preparing to resign from the cabinet.
State Secretary Pratikno confirmed on Tuesday that Mahfud had made the request to him during a private meeting on Monday night.
"I met with him last night. The coordinating minister wanted to meet with the President," Pratikno said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara.
Pratikno, one of Jokowi's closest aides, noted, however, that Mahfud had not discussed his possible resignation.
"No, he hasn't [tendered his resignation]," he said.
Speaking after the second vice presidential debate in early January, Mahfud, the running mate of presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo, said he would resign from the cabinet.
He then repeated the statement on the campaign trail.
“I have been planning to resign for a long time, since before the first presidential debate,” he said last week.
“That way, I’ll be able to reveal the actual data more freely, and it will be more ethical for me to access that data without being in the government.”
President Jokowi has said Mahfud is free to leave the cabinet if he wishes.
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