Mahfud MD Criticizes Proposal to Increase Number of Ministries

Former coordinating political, legal, and security affairs minister Mahfud MD has criticized the proposal by politicians within the coalition of president-elect Prabowo Subianto to increase the number of ministries in the upcoming administration. Mahfud argues that this could lead to more corruption.

He believes the proposal is a way to reward the many political parties that supported Prabowo in the February 14th election. "The more ministries, the more we will have sources of corruption. Especially because individual ministries have their own budgets," Mahfud said at a seminar organized by the Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Islamic University (UII).

Mahfud also pointed out that there has been a tendency to add new ministries in successive administrations over the past decade, aiming to create an all-inclusive government. "It was 26 and then 34 and then they added some more. After the next election, it will probably be 60. The collusion is getting wider. This country will be ruined," he said.

Local media reports suggest that Prabowo is considering adding new portfolios to accommodate demands from leaders of political parties who are eager to get more seats in the cabinet.

Gerindra Party executive Habiburokhman, however, sees the proposal positively. "I don’t see any issues with involving as many people as possible [in the cabinet]," he said. "We are a big country with big challenges and big targets. It’s only reasonable that we need a lot of people in the government.