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Analysis: Gibran still trying to find his place in Prabowo administration
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Checking in: Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (center) leaves following a meeting with People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Ahmad Muzani in Jakarta on Oct. 14. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he new complaints center to where the public can take their grievances about the government may seem noble, but as the initiative comes from Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, it is generally seen as an attempt to establish his footing in the administration of President Prabowo Subianto. It also provides with him a strong and visible platform to prepare for the next presidential election in 2029.
Since his inauguration on Oct. 20, the public has been kept in the dark about the specific duties of the Vice President, if any, or whether he merely serves as a stand-in for the President when needed.
On Monday, Gibran launched the Lapor Mas Wapres (Report to Brother VP) service, with a command center inside the vice presidential office on Jl. Kebon Sirih Raya No. 14 in Central Jakarta and hotline number +62-81117042207 on WhatsApp. The service’s personalized name gives it a populist touch to endear himself to the public, a strategy that was the hallmark of his father, former president Joko “Jokowi’ Widodo.
However, Gibran offered no explanation about the new complaints center other than the short announcement he posted on his Instagram account: “To the beloved citizens of Indonesia, starting tomorrow, we will be opening our service to receive complaints from the Indonesian people.” This message was accompanied by an infographic, bearing a large picture of him explaining how to use the service both offline and online.
The center’s employees wear a uniform vest in light blue, the color of Prabowo-Gibran’s presidential campaign, and reported that some 50 people turned up on the first day.
It is not clear how many people messaged the WhatsApp account, but some users who tested the system said only a single tick appeared next to their messages many hours after they were sent, indicating that they had been received but not read by whoever is managing the account.
It is not clear whether the complaints center had the approval of the President, who is currently on a 16-day overseas tour. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that the new initiative was Gibran’s, saying “we all share the commitment and spirit”.
