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JAKARTA: The Indonesian president announced on Tuesday a radical reshuffle of his cabinet, including the replacement of a health minister criticized for his perception of mishandling of the coronavirus crisis in the country.
President Joko Widodo, known by his nickname Jokowi, said six ministers would be replaced, including in the health, trade, tourism and fisheries portfolios. Newcomers will be inducted on Wednesday.
Outgoing Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto, a military radiologist and former personal physician to Jokowi’s late mother, has faced public calls to resign over a number of coronavirus cases that are among the largest in Asia.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Terawan was criticized for suggesting that prayer could help protect people from the virus. Indonesia has recorded more than 678,000 cases and 20,250 deaths.
Budi Gunadi Sadikin, former director of Bank Mandiri and head of Indonesia’s economic recovery task force, would take over the health portfolio.
Olivia Herlinda, policy director of the Indonesian NGO Center for Strategic Development Initiatives, said the reorganization was an opportunity for a more effective approach.
“The new (health) minister should quickly map the gaps in the management of Covid-19 thus far and prioritize strategic actions,” he said.
Jokowi had hinted at the shakeup in June after lamenting to his cabinet the lack of a “sense of crisis” among his ministers and inefficient government spending.
Muhammad Lutfi, current Indonesian Ambassador to Washington and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Minister of Commerce, will replace Agus Suparmanto as Minister of Commerce.
A politician from one of the Islamic parties in the Jokowi coalition, Agus had been accused of not doing enough to increase export competitiveness when Covid-19 was paralyzing global trade.
The reorganization comes weeks after the ministers of fisheries and social affairs were named suspects in corruption cases by the nation’s anti-theft agency.
Jokowi also appointed the current mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, as Minister of Social Affairs and Sandiaga Uno, a businessman and former deputy governor of Jakarta, as Minister of Tourism.
