Indonesia Maju’ Cabinet Raring to Go

KOMPAS/LAKSANA AGUNG SAPUTRA

Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with President Joko Widodo after receiving a presidential decree on his appointment as defense minister at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/10/2019). On that occasion, one by one the figures who were appointed as ministers in the Indonesia Onward Cabinet received the same documents from the President before attending a ceremony for their inauguration at the State Palace, Jakarta.

Two days after taking the oath of office, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo formed the Indonesia Maju (Indonesia Onward) Cabinet. Now, we are waiting for quick action of the ministers to realize President Jokowi\'s vision.

When announcing his Cabinet lineup on the steps of the State Palace, President Jokowi, who was accompanied by Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin, reaffirmed his vision of developing human resources, creating jobs and empowering micro, small and medium businesses. He also mentioned issues of corruption, law enforcement and terrorism.

Jokowi ordered his 34 ministers and four minister-level officials to share his vision on these matters. There is no vision and mission of ministers, but the vision and mission of the President and Vice President. Ministers must work fast, work hard and work productively, not get caught up in routines, and be oriented toward tangible results. Not only must they avoid corruption themselves, the ministers must also create systems that prevent corruption in the institutions they lead. Ministers who are not serious about working should be swiftly removed.

"Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team."

We certainly hope that all ministers can deliver on the vision of the President. If any of the ministers are incompetent, we hope President Jokowi will not forgive. As leadership expert John C. Maxwell noted: "Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team."

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin pose for a photograph with ministers on the front steps of Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/10/2019). On that day, President Joko Widodo announced the composition of his Cabinet, which was named the Indonesia Onward Cabinet. On that occasion, the President advised his ministers not to commit corruption and to create a system that closed loopholes in corruption.

The prerogative of appointing ministers and the five-year experience in the first period must not be wasted to rule the government well in the second five-year term. Moreover, the public trust President Jokowi currently has is no higher than in 2014 when he became the president. In 2014, 65.1 percent of the public was "satisfied" with his performance. By the end of his administration in 2019, that share had dropped to 58.8 percent (Kompas, 17/9/2019).

Law No. 39/2008 concerning the Ministry of State emphasizes that ministers are tasked with assisting the president in organizing state government. The minister is not a partner, a competitor or even a rival of the president. The minister must help the president, not create a burden.

The public’s immediate response to the Indonesia Onward Cabinet lineup is varied. Some consider the Cabinet so-so – not great, not bad either, just average. Others see it as gado-gado or mixed-up. They are fascinated by a number of ministers but have doubts about the abilities of others. The emergence of a new figure in politics makes for a surprise on the one hand but raises anxiety regarding his or her appointment on the other.

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A large coalition of political parties is reassuring, because it mends differences and divisions, but, at the same time, it creates anxiety about possible disunity or even betrayal. However, it is not right for us to pass judgment without giving the ministers the opportunity to work and prove themselves.

Certainly, progress is the hope of all the Indonesian people. Let’s go!