The House of Representatives passed on Thursday a revision to a law regulating the Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres), which advises the sitting president on matters of daily administration.

The amendment gives the board an equal standing with other state institutions by making the status entirely independent of the executive branch. The new law also removes a limit of nine on the number of council members and instead allows it to be determined by a sitting president “in accordance with his needs”.

"The role of the Wantimpres is crucial. It is a source of independent counsel on strategic issues,” said Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas, who represented the government in the House plenary session to pass the bill on Thursday.

“Therefore the changes are expected to strengthen the position of the board.”

The timing of the revision, which was initiated by the House Legislation Body (Baleg) and pushed through only months before Jokowi leaves office, has fueled speculation that he is seeking to get a spot on the council.

Prior to the amendment being proposed in the House, Prabowo’s camp floated a plan to establish a so-called president’s club comprising the country’s sitting and living former presidents as a forum for them to exchange views and ideas on strategic national issues.