Nala Edwin, Jakarta – The Committee to Monitor the New Order (Komite Waspada Orde Baru, Tewas Orba) says that the Indonesian Cabinet of Unity is ridden with people from former President Suharto’s New Order regime. There are indications that 34.21 per cent of the members in the cabinet of newly installed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) have links with the New Order.
This assessment was presented by Tewas Orba’s secretary Safinuddin during a press conference at the organisation’s secretariat on Jalan Pasar Minggu Raya in East Jakarta on Friday October 29. Also present at the conference was Tewas Orba presidium chair Judilhery Justam.
Safinuddin said that there are indications that Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla’s cabinet have more members connected to the New Order than the cabinets of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri or former President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur). During the Gus Dur administration only 33.33 per cent of cabinet members had links with the New Order and during the Megawati administration 31.25 per cent.
“During the Gus Dur administration there were five people who were former high ranking officials in the New Order regime, in Mega’s time there were three people, and in the SBY-Kalla administration five people. They are [Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs] Widodo AS, [Home Affairs Minister] M. Ma’ruf, [Cabinet Secretary] Sudi Silalahi, [State Minister of Administrative Reforms] Taufik Efendi and [Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries] Fredy Numberi”, said Safinuddin.
Safinuddin specifically highlighted a number of questionable figures in the cabinet’s economic team, in particular the coordinating minister for the economy, Aburizal Bakrie, who is the owner of Bank Nusa National and received money from the Bank Indonesia’s Liquidity Support Fund (BLBI) which in the end was taken over by the government. He is also linked to the ownership of 10 per cent of the shares in PT Freeport which has caused the state financial loses.
In the People’s Representative Assembly meanwhile, there has been a reduction in the number of people linked with the New Order. In 1999 more than half of the assembly members were former New Order politicians. In 2004 this fell to 39.82 per cent.
In the Regional Representative Councils, 42 out of 128 members or 32.81 per cent are former New Order politicians. “This institution is chaired by Ginandjar Kartasasmita who on many occasion held ministerial posts during Suharto’s time. He also has legal problems as it is believed that he has been involved in a number of corruption cases”, explained Safinuddin.
By way of clarification, Safinuddin explained that an indication that a person is linked to the New Order is that during New Order period they held posts such as ministers, governors, mayors, regents, high ranking officers in the TNI (armed forces) or police, were legislative members, leaders of political parties which were products of the new order such as the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the United Development Party or leaders of mass organisations which supported the New Order. (gtp)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
