Three Handover Ceremonies, then Straight to Work

KOMPAS/INSAN ALFAJRI

Menteri Koordinator Politik Hukum dan Keamanan Mahfud MD memasuki kantornya, Rabu (23/10/2019).

After their inauguration on Wednesday (23/10/2019), a number of Indonesia Onward Cabinet members took part in handover ceremonies with their predecessors. Some of them even went straight to leading meetings.

Tjahjo Kumolo might have been the busiest minister in terms of handover ceremonies. After he was inaugurated as Bureaucratic Reform Minister at the Presidential Palace, Tjahjo left for the Home Ministry to take part in a handover ceremony from himself to his successor Tito Karnavian.

Tjahjo then headed to the Law and Human Rights Ministry in Kuningan, South Jakarta, for another handover ceremony. Tjahjo was the acting Law and Human Rights Minister since Yasonna H Laoly resigned from the position in late September. At the time, Yasonna was about to be inaugurated as lawmaker.

ANTARA FOTO/M RISYAL HIDAYAT

Home Minister Tito Karnavian (right) walks with his predecessor, Tjahjo Kumolo (left), before the handover of his position at the Home Ministry, Jakarta, Wednesday (23/10/2019). President Joko Widodo officially installed Tito Karnavian as home minister in the ranks of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet.

On Wednesday, Tjahjo gave the ministerial position back to Yasonna, who had been reappointed by President Joko Widodo as Law and Human Rights Minister.

In his speech, Yasonna joked that he got the position as Law and Human Rights Minister in 2014 and 2019 because of Tjahjo, his colleague at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). “I got the position because of Pak Secretary-General [Tjahjo once served as PDI-P secretary-general]. My family prefers me to work as a lawmaker rather than minister, as I have more time for them that way,” Yasonna said.

From the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Tjahjo headed to the Bureaucratic Reform Ministry in Kebayoran Baru to take over the job from his predecessor Syafruddin. When Tjahjo arrived at the Bureaucratic Reform Ministry, Syafruddin and all ministry officials were already waiting for him. The handover ceremony began almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD received a warm welcome upon arriving at his ministry, including a flower wreath before entering his office. After the handover ceremony, Mahfud held a meeting with his ministry’s high-ranking officials on Wednesday evening.

KOMPAS/INSAN ALFAJRI

Menteri Koordinator Politik Hukum dan Keamanan Mahfud MD memasuki kantornya, Rabu (23/10/2019). Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD waves his hand as he enters his office, Wednesday (23/10/2019).

Similarly, Erick Thohir held a meeting with directors of state-owned enterprises after the handover ceremony with his predecessor Rini Soemarno. “[On Thursday], the President will begin his first plenary Cabinet meeting at 10 a.m. I ask all of you to hold meetings immediately after this, as we have [key performance indicators] that we need to achieve in three months,” he said.

ST Burhanuddin spent his first day as attorney general to gather all of his office’s high-ranking officials for a video conference call with all the heads of provincial prosecutors’ offices. In the video call that went on for around 90 minutes, Burhanuddin greeted all regional officers.

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.

On Wednesday at 12:40 p.m., Burhanuddin returned to the Attorney General’s Office after his retirement as prosecutor in 2014. At the time, his last position was as junior attorney general for civil and state administrative law. “It’s a homecoming. The prodigal son returns,” said Burhanuddin, who was greeted by Deputy Attorney General Arminsyah upon his arrival at the office.

“For the past four years, I have not kept myself up-to-date with cases. Please give me time to get a grip on things,” he said.

Closed-door

The handover ceremony at the Trade Ministry, from Enggartiasto Lukita to Agus Suparmanto, was done behind closed doors. Journalists were only allowed to take a photo of Agus and Enggar shaking hands after the ceremony. Afterward, Agus did not address journalists who had been waited for him. He said he would study first before getting down to work.

“Pak Minister will explain his concrete plans after obtaining detailed instructions from the President,” Trade Ministry secretary-general Oke Nurwan said.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry handover from Ryamizard Ryacudu to Prabowo Subianto was to be conducted on Thursday. To prepare for the ceremony, Defense Ministry secretary-general Agus Setiadji visited Prabowo at his residence in Kertanegara, Jakarta, on Wednesday to inform him about the workings of the Defense Ministry.

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.

On Wednesday, Ryamizard took part in an assembly and delivered his farewell speech to ministry employees. In the speech, Ryamizard said he was glad for having completed his duty as defense minister. He told his employees to stay loyal to his successor and avoid corruption.

Ryamizard then took a picture together with ministry employees, holding up their hands as a symbol of Ryamizard’s signature State Defense program.

While ministers inevitably have their own leadership styles, their combined effort will hopefully promote a common goal, namely to lay the foundation for Onward Indonesia 2045. (EDN/SAN/IAN/SPW/IGA/SHR/DVD/FAI/JUD/ERK)