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”.

The minister, however, has drawn public support for revealing a series of sensitive information that other public officials wish could stay confidential.

Only recently, Mahfud made an explosive revelation that there had been a slew of suspicious transactions worth Rp 300 trillion (US$19.3 billion) involving the Finance Ministry. The alleged illicit transactions were made by 460 officials, most of whom were assigned to the ministry’s taxation office and customs and excise office.

The bombshell revelation came amid public outrage over the extravagant lifestyles of civil servants, particularly those working for the Finance Ministry, following a viral assault case involving the son of a middle-ranking tax official who appeared to be suspiciously wealthy for a public official of his rank.

Mahfud’s statement further fuelled public outcry over the alleged corruption and extravagant lifestyles of public officials, prompting the ministry and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to crack down on suspiciously wealthy officials.

 

‘We can no longer hide anything'  

When asked why he made the remark, Mahfud said that such sensitive information could no longer be covered up from the public. “We can no longer hide anything from the public nowadays. If they don’t get it from me, they will get it from somebody else,” he said, adding that he revealed the information because he was asked. “We cannot lie.”

This was not the first time that Mahfud “leaked” information that shocked the public. Shortly before the sentencing of Ferdy, who got the death penalty for masterminding Yosua’s murder, Mahfud said that a three-star police general attempted to influence the judges trying the high-profile murder case. “There have been guerrilla movements, one is seeking to have Ferdy Sambo exonerated, and another wants him punished,” he said.

When the Ferdy case broke out last year, Mahfud said that Ferdy’s clique within the police was so powerful that a high-ranking general was afraid of him. His office, he said, would ensure that the law enforcement institutions were professional in handling Ferdy’s case, in which several police officers were also accused of abetting the disgraced police general to cover up his crime.  

The killing of Yosua and the alleged cover-up attempt by Ferdy and his men is the worst scandal to hit the police force. Observers have said that the legal process against one of the police’s force top officials is a test case for its accountability.   

In his latest remark, Mahfud accused the Central Jakarta District Court judges who issued a ruling ordering the postponement of the 2024 general election of engaging in a conspiracy. “It’s an administrative affair, why was it tried in a civil court? There had to be some collusion behind it. […] There had to be,” he said.

 

Another VP bid?

Mahfud’s growing popularity has prompted questions over whether he would again be listed as a potential vice presidential candidate. Analysts, however, said that Mahfud was a good candidate but he lacked the electoral power sought by political parties.

That Mahfud is considered an NU figure might have placed him among the potential VP candidates, but his electability is far from competitive, according to Bawono Kumoro, a political analyst from Indikator Politik Indonesia. “His name has never emerged in surveys. In an Indikator simulation survey, his electability rate is low,” he said, adding that Mahfud also had not approached any political parties.

Despite his low electability, Mahfud could still be an electoral magnet due to his public profile, said Adi Prayitno of the Jakarta State Islamic University. “He is competent, and he has the capacity. He is a legal expert and is seen as a man with integrity. Overall, as a potential runner in 2024. He is a man to be reckoned with,” he said.

The question, Adi added, is if Mahfud is willing to run. “The public does not see him as someone seeking to contest the election. He is the type of person who needs to be asked to run […] if he makes it clear he is running, the public would like it.”