Prabowo swears in 109-member Indonesia cabinet

Newly inaugurated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday swore in the largest cabinet the country has seen in six decades, indicating a continuation of his predecessor's pragmatic approach to economic growth.

The lineup, which includes 48 ministers, 56 vice-ministers and five heads of ministerial state agencies along with their deputies, was unveiled late on Sunday following Prabowo's inauguration alongside Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The cabinet with 109 officials is the largest since 1966 when Indonesia's first president Sukarno formed a lineup of 132 ministers. The previous administration of Joko Widodo had about 60 cabinet members in total.

Visiting Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng met with Gibran on Monday, congratulating the latter on his inauguration. Han said China and Indonesia are good neighbors and good partners, adding bilateral cooperation is highly complementary and mutually beneficial, which has brought tangible benefits to both countries.

For his part, Gibran said the new Indonesian government is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

Prabowo named his cabinet "Kabinet Merah Putih" (Red and White Cabinet), reflecting the colors of the national flag, and said he looks forward to a strong government to serve the nation's development needs.

"I want to create a strong government that would unite our multicultural society and diverse political interests," he said on Sunday.

The cabinet comprises not only members of his Gerindra party and coalition partners but also independent experts with specialized knowledge.

More than a dozen ministers from the Widodo administration have been retained in Prabowo's cabinet, either in their previous roles or new positions. Notable figures include Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who will continue as finance minister; Airlangga Hartarto, coordinating minister for economic affairs; and Tito Karnavian, home affairs minister.

A new appointment is Sugiono, a former army lieutenant general and deputy chair of the Gerindra party, who steps in as foreign minister. He was a military cadet at Norwich University, the oldest military academy in the United States.

Additionally, former army lieutenant general Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has been named defense minister.

Prabowo had repeatedly emphasized his intention to form a zaken cabinet — one composed of ministers with expertise in specific areas, appointed based on qualifications rather than political affiliations.

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, a former army member and chairman of the Democratic Party, has been named coordinating minister for infrastructure and regional development. He is the eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Luhut Pandjaitan, a senior minister under Widodo who spearheaded Indonesia's mineral processing industry, has been appointed head of the National Economic Council.

While some analysts said a large cabinet is not easy to keep control, others argue that a strong government can still function effectively with a broad array of members.

Prabowo is expected to hold meetings with cabinet members in Central Java Province in the coming days.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.