5 years in the past, I wrote an article arguing that the Indonesian authorities’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was undermined by its anti-expertise and anti-science perspective. These days, such an perspective is rampant throughout all components of the present authorities beneath President Prabowo Subianto.
The present “Pink and White Cupboard” clearly demonstrates this anti-expertise sentiment. The cupboard is stuffed with ministers with out experience of their respective portfolios, with a scarcity of related training and expertise. Their lack of information has already had far-reaching penalties.
Take, for instance, the present minister of international affairs, Sugiono. Earlier than him, the Ministry of International Affairs (MoFA) had been led by profession diplomats for many of its historical past, particularly within the final 20 years. The international ministers throughout this era – Hassan Wirajuda, Marty Natalegawa, and Retno Marsudi – all had tutorial levels in worldwide relations or worldwide regulation, had served in MoFA for many years, and had led diplomatic missions to different nations as Indonesian ambassadors. Their training and expertise had developed their capability to grow to be the nation’s high diplomat.
Examine that to Sugiono. Earlier than being appointed as minister, his earlier profession included a 2-year stint of army service throughout which he rose to the rank of first lieutenant, private secretary to Prabowo, and member of Prabowo’s Gerindra political get together. He has a bachelor’s diploma in pc science and grasp’s levels in enterprise and administration, neither of which is immediately related to his work on the International Ministry. His solely encounter with international affairs was throughout his tenure as a member of parliament in 2019-2024, throughout which he was assigned to the primary fee of the Home of Representatives (DPR) that oversees international affairs.
Sugiono’s tenure as international minister has accordingly been disastrous. Only one month after his appointment, in November 2024, Indonesia printed a joint assertion with China during which each nations agreed on “joint growth in areas of overlapping claims” within the South China Sea. This assertion was broadly thought-about a blunder as a result of Indonesia had a long-standing standing as a “non-claimant” state and had by no means acknowledged that overlapping maritime boundaries exist with China.
Sugiono’s different blunder was leaving the ambassadorial positions in a number of pleasant nations and worldwide organizations, such because the United Nations, vacant for months in mid-2025. It led to the detriment of Indonesia’s strategic bargaining energy amid geopolitical pressure on the time. Solely after scrutiny from the DPR’s first fee did Sugiono promise to instantly fill the vacant ambassadorial positions.
His most up-to-date blunder was delaying the method of receiving credentials from newly appointed international ambassadors for months in mid-2026. This has hindered these ambassadors from doing their official diplomatic work in Indonesia. Solely after criticism from a former deputy international minister, Dino Patti Djalal, did the federal government maintain an official ceremony to obtain these envoys’ credentials.
Sugiono has dedicated many different blunders, however the lack of information extends far past him. One other blatant instance is present Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, who doesn’t have related training and expertise associated to forestry. His earlier profession was in a spiritual non-governmental group known as Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Solidarity Get together, and a tenure as deputy minister for agrarian affairs and spatial planning in 2022-2024. He has a doctoral diploma in Political Science and Worldwide Research, however not in any self-discipline related to forestry.
Identical to Sugiono, Raja Juli’s lack of information has resulted in errors. The 2025 floods and landslides in northern Sumatra, which led to greater than 1,000 deaths, 140 lacking individuals, and greater than 1 million displaced, had been attributed to huge deforestation on firm concession lands. Deforestation had been rampant since earlier than Raja Juli turned minister, however throughout his tenure the Ministry of Forestry has continued to liberally challenge forest administration permits to many firms. A member of parliament has criticized Raja Juli for not understanding forestry.
The checklist of cabinet-level officers within the present authorities with lack of information goes on, however the worst instance is arguably the officers assigned to steer the Nationwide Vitamin Company (BGN), the company established to ship Prabowo’s flagship free nutritious meals program for college kids.
When established in 2024, the officers appointed to steer the company have been Dadan Hindayana as the top of company and Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, Lodewyk Pusung, and Sony Sanjaya because the deputy heads. None of them have a background in diet or meals security: Dadan is an entomologist; Nanik is a journalist; Lodewyk is a retired military common; Sony is a retired police common. This lack of information amongst BGN management has additionally resulted in disasters, as circumstances of meals poisoning and mass hospitalization linked to the free meals program have been reported virtually each week. Dadan, Lodewyk, and Sony have been not too long ago arrested on account of allegations of corruption inside BGN in mid-2026, resulting in Nanik changing into head of the company.
Why has Prabowo appointed so many non-experts to strategic positions? There’s excessive likelihood that it’s as a result of he prizes loyalty and patronage. For instance, let’s once more take Sugiono, who has been dubbed as Prabowo’s “ideological little one.” Since graduating from highschool, Sugiono acquired a scholarship from Prabowo to review at army universities within the U.S. After his temporary army service, Sugiono turned private secretary to Prabowo within the early 2000s, lengthy earlier than the Gerindra get together was established in 2008.
Equally, Dadan Hindayana was launched to Prabowo when the latter was searching for a plant illness professional to deal with the crops at his residence. That led to shut relations between Dadan and Prabowo. Dadan admitted that he was anticipating to be given a commissioner place at a state-owned enterprise, however he was as an alternative appointed head of the BGN.
In the meantime, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who not too long ago changed Dadan as head of BGN, has been a Prabowo loyalist since 2014. She turned notorious for spreading misinformation concerning the persecution of Prabowo supporters throughout the 2019 presidential election.
The checklist of Prabowo’s appointees who acquired their positions from loyalty, not experience, goes on. A few of these loyalty appointees are alumni of Taruna Nusantara Excessive College – a prestigious highschool managed by a basis beneath the steering of the Ministry of Protection that collaborates intently with the army – together with Sugiono, Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi, and Cupboard Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, amongst others. Within the case of Teddy, with a view to allow his appointment as cupboard secretary, Prabowo revised the place in order that it was now not on the ministerial stage – one thing that’s barred to active-duty army officers.
Apart from Taruna Nusantara alumni, another loyalty appointees are army retirees. When Prabowo’s cupboard was fashioned in October 2024, it included 4 ministers, 5 deputy ministers, one head of company, and 5 particular advisors and company officers who have been retired army officers.
The phenomenon of the Indonesian authorities appointing ministers and different cabinet-level officers who wouldn’t have background related to their ministry or company just isn’t one thing new, however the scale has certainly grown considerably beneath Prabowo.
In fact, it’s true {that a} ministerial portfolio is a political place, and there’s a debate available about whether or not a minister will need to have technical experience associated to their portfolio. Some argue {that a} minister should solely be able to main and making strategic insurance policies, whereas they are often supported by a crew {of professional} technocrats. Nonetheless, latest controversies have highlighted that some technical ministries and businesses require ministers and company heads who’ve an understanding of their sectors.
To assist ministers with out related experience, the federal government has established many new deputy minister positions. Some ministries now have as much as three deputy ministers. The present authorities has 54 deputy ministers, in contrast with the earlier cupboard which housed solely 19.
The ministries with three deputy ministers embody the ministries of House Affairs, International Affairs, and Finance, and the now-dissolved Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises. Does having many deputy ministers assist in establishing experience in these ministries? That’s debatable, as Sugiono nonetheless makes blunder after blunder in his dealing with of international affairs. He has even joked that having three deputy ministers was not sufficient.
The above examples showcase how the present Indonesian authorities has disregarded evidence-based coverage formulation by changing technocrats and teachers who’ve related training and expertise with political appointees who wouldn’t have related competence relating to their portfolio and infrequently ignore the recommendation of consultants. This can be a clear phenomenon of the “dying of experience” and the implications have been disastrous. It has diminished bureaucratic effectiveness and weakened public belief within the authorities.
To revive bureaucratic effectiveness and public belief, the Indonesian authorities should return to upholding meritocracy within the appointment of public officers. Authorities officers should be appointed based mostly on their scientific observe data, experience, and integrity. The federal government should additionally contain extra tutorial establishments, analysis establishments, and technical our bodies in policymaking.
