Politics

Some new names that may stir controversy in public have also been mentioned as potential ministers in the next cabinet under Prabowo-Gibran. Let’s talk a bit about these names.

One of the biggest questions about the next cabinet is who will be appointed by Prabowo Subianto as the new Minister of Finance. Will Prabowo keep Sri Mulyani Indrawati or give the position to someone else just when the elected president sending out more signals of a ‘new (more expansive) fiscal approach’? Let’s look at the names mentioned on media outlets.

Similar to the previous administrations, there are many lists of Prabowo-Gibran’s cabinet circulating in social media platforms even before they are sworn in as the new President and Vice President of Indonesia. However, the Daily Chairman of Gerindra Party Sufmi Dasco Ahmad dismissed all of the lists and said that Prabowo has yet to discuss the new cabinet with members of the coalition. Regardless of his statement, let’s look at the latest list of Prabowo-Gibran’s cabinet reported by Tribunnews on Wednesday (May 15), in which some new interesting names are mentioned as potential ministers.

It’s still five months away before Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka are officially sworn in as the new President and Vice President of Indonesia, but there has already been talks about the next cabinet, which is not surprising. Recently, political parties at the House of Representatives (DPR) kicked off the discussion on a plan to revise the Law No. 39/2008 on the State Ministry. Given the timing of the revision, many people speculate that the revision aims to add more nomenclatures so that Prabowo-Gibran can accommodate more parties in the next cabinet.

Maluku Barat Daya (MBD) or Southwest Maluku, a regency in Maluku province, is the home to Merdeka Copper (MDKA), which controls copper producing project in Wetar Island. The incumbent Regent Benyamin Thomas Noach, a PDIP politician, is seeking for his re-election in the Maluku Barat Daya election that will be held this year.

Kepulauan Tanimbar or Tanimbar Islands (the current name of Maluku Tenggara Barat) is the home to Masela Block, where the Abadi LNG project with over US$20 billion investment is being developed. The incumbent Regent of Tanimbar Petrus Fatlolon, who is a politician from Nasdem, is seeking for his second term in the election that will be held in the regency this year.

The incumbent Governor of Maluku Murad Ismail is seeking for his second term in the Maluku gubernatorial election that will be held this year. Murad, a retired two-star police general, was a PDIP politician but he has been dismissed by the Party last year.

Halmahera Utara (Halut) or North Halmahera in North Maluku is the home to Gosowong gold mine, one of the largest gold mines in Indonesia, which was controlled by ASX-listed Newcrest Mining Ltd (later sold to Indonesian business people) and IDX-listed Aneka Tambang (ANTM) through PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (NHM). Halmahera Utara will elect new regent and vice regent this year because the incumbent Regent Frans Manery has served for two periods and he can’t run again.

The incumbent Regent James Uang is seeking for his second term in the Halmahera Barat (Halbar) or West Halmahera election that will be held this year. James Uang is the chairman of Democratic Party in Halmahera Barat (North Maluku), the home to gold mining companies.

Halmahera Timur (Haltim) or East Halmahera in North Maluku, home to major nickel smelters, including the recent partnership between CATL (the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer) and Aneka Tambang (ANTM), will also hold an election this year. Regent of Halmahera Timur Ubaid Yakub and Vice Regent Anjas Taher are looking forward to entering the 2024 Halmahera Timur election as incumbent pair of candidates for the second time. Can they win their second term? And who will be their contender(s)?