United Indonesia Cabinet 2009-2014
Thu, 10/22/2009 12:06 PM | Headlines
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs
Djoko Suyanto
Madiun, East Java/Dec. 2, 1950
Education : Indonesian Military Academy Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Java
Background : Professional (Navy)
His appointment comes as no surprise due to his strategic role in the campaign team for Yudhoyono and Boediono following his retirement as the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief. President Yudhoyono has long had confidence in his fellow 1973 Military Academy graduate Djoko, whom he named TNI commander in 2006. Djoko emulates his predecessor Widodo Adi Sucipto as a former military chief promoted to chief security minister.
Defense Minister
Purnomo Yusgiantoro
Semarang/June 16, 1951
Education : PhD in economics/mineral resources from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado (1988)
Religion : Catholic
Ethnicity: Java
Background : Professional
The appointment of Purnomo as a defense minister shocked the public, considering his background serves him best in the economic sector. Before serving as the energy and mineral resources minister for the past five years, Purnomo served in the same post under president Megawati Soekarnoputri. He served as president of OPEC before Indonesia decided to quit from the organization.
Agriculture Minister
Suswono
Tegal, Central Java/April 20, 1959
Education : Master's in Agribusiness from Agribusiness Management Magister, Bogor Institute of Agriculture
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Java
Background : Politician (PKS)
Suswono emerged as an expert in agriculture and plantation following his function as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Commission for Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry between 2004 and 2009. As PKS representative, Suswono is likely to continue the policies already installed by his predecessor Anton Apriyantono, the party's senior activist.
Health Minister
Endang R. Sedyaningsih Banyumas, Central Java/Feb. 1, 1955 Education : Doctor of Public Health, Harvard School of Public HealthBackground : Professional
Until her appointment, Endang was mostly unknown, despite her academic credentials as director of the Center for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research and Programme Development. She has also participated in research on avian influenza since 2006. In 2001, Endang was stationed at the WHO headquarters in Geneva at the department of communicable disease surveillance and response as temporary technical advisor. Her name was a last-minute replacement for previous candidate Nila Anfasa Moeloek.
State Minister for Research and Technology
Suharna Surapranata
Bandung/Dec. 13, 1955
Education : Master's in Physics Engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Sunda
Background : Politician (PKS)
His appointment as the new research minister will see him give up his post as a legislator for his West Java constituency. The chairman of the PKS advisory board previously worked at the Technology Research and Application Agency (BPPT). Suharna said that among his jobs would be to adopt research and technology to help boost Indonesia's economic competitiveness.
State Minister for National Development Planning
Armida Alisjahbana
Bandung/Aug. 16, 1960
Education : PhD in Economics, University of Washington, Seattle
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Sunda
Background : Professional (Academician from the Padjajaran University).
Armida, the daughter of former Foreign Minister Mochtar Kusuma Atmadja, is not well known as one the country's economic thinkers despite her involvement in numerous research projects both at home and overseas.
Coordinating Minister for the Economy
M. Hatta Radjasa
Palembang, South Sumatra/Dec. 18, 1953
Education : Bandung Institute of Technology
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Palembang
Background : Politician (National Mandate Party/PAN)
While still retaining the role of secretary-general of the PAN, Hatta emerged as a trusted man in Yudhoyono's inner circle. His appointment to such a key post, despite a lack of experience in this portfolio, signifies Yudhoyono's trust in him personally rather than the influence of the PAN. This is Hatta's fourth Cabinet posting after previously serving as state secretary, transportation minister and research and technology minister.
Justice and Human Rights Minister
Patrialis Akbar
Padang, West Sumatra/Oct. 31, 1958
Education : Muhammadiyah University (1984)
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Minang
Background : Politician (PAN)
He consistently supported Yudhoyono's re-election bid while other fellow National Mandate Party (PAN) executives preferred rival presidential candidate Wiranto. Patrialis, who was a lawmaker between 1999 and 2009, once worked as a public transportation and taxi driver to fund his study at Muhammadiyah University's School of Law in Jakarta. He turned to politics after years as a lawyer.
Forestry Minister
Zulkifli Hasan
Lampung/May 17, 1962
Education : Master's of Management from PPM Management Institute
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Lampung
Background : Politician (PAN)
Zulkifli served as a lawmaker from the PAN, representing his hometown of Lampung. He was a member of the House's Commission VI on mining and a member of the House's budgetary committee. Zulkifli was president director of PT Panamas Mitra Inti Lestari. He is also deputy chairman of the empowerment committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Jakarta branch. Zulkifli said among his tasks was to control forest fires.
Education Minister
Mohammad Nuh
Surabaya/June 17, 1959
Education : PhD in science from Universite Sciences et Techniques de Montpellier, France
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Java
Background : Professional (academician)
Known as an information technology expert, Muhammad Nuh's exposure in education came when he served as the rector of the November 10 Institute of Technology in Surabaya just before his first appointment as minister in 2005 to replace Sofyan Djalil following the first Cabinet reshuffle under Yudhoyono. Nuh is among a few ministers who are maintained by President Yudhoyono.
State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises
Syarifuddin Hasan (Syarief Hasan)
Palopo, South Sulawesi/June 17, 1949
Education : PhD from Krisnadwipayana University (Unkris), Jakarta
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Makassar
Background : Democratic Party politician.
Spending most of his time with the House of Representatives's defense and foreign affair commission, Syarief Hasan is widely known as Yudhoyono's lobbyist and bumper against attacks from politicians in the House. Syarief, a successful businessman, is among Yudhoyono's confidants.
State Minister for State Enterprises
Mustafa Abubakar
Pidie, Aceh/Oct. 15, 1949
Education : PhD from IPB
Religion : Islam
Ethnicity : Aceh
Background : Professional, and former Golkar member.
Despite his past as a party activist, Mustafa has demonstrated both his high integrity and his success in cleansing the once corrupt-infested state logistic company PT Bulog. As former acting governor of Aceh between 2005 and 2007, Mustafa emerges as a Acehnese success story at the national stage.
Christmas Island (left), Rote Island (right). 
The   back arriving asylum seekers to , Indonesia, after claiming  destination,  reported Monday of last week. Last Thursday, Australian Prime Minister  supported lack of transparency on the issue.

Indonesian police found the two ships reportedly forcibly towed back from Australia on December 19, and on January 6 after being towed on . A self-identified Sudanese asylum seeker from one of the boats reported the Navy ship numbers, identifying them as  and , and said the refugees were denied access to navigation tools during the duration of the route and abandoned in sea in the middle of the night. Commenters called such practice "", "tow-backs", "turn-backs".

Police chief Hidayat Rote Island, speaking to Fairfax Media, said the second boat was adrift: "They were rescued by the locals, because the boat engines were dead. The boat now is wreckage, near some reefs." 

The Australian government had also planned to purchase additional lifeboats for refugee expulsion from Australian waters, Fairfax Media reported.

Australian government originally had no response, but after protests by  and the , Tony Abbott commented. Last Thursday, he supported lack of transparency on the issue by saying "I'd rather be criticised a bit for being a bit of a closed book on the issue, and actually stop the boats. I'm pleased to say that it's now several weeks since we've had a boat, and the less we talk about operational details on the water, the better when it comes to stopping the boats."

Defence Force chief David Hurley also claimed professional behaviour of board officers and the Navy when handling arriving refugees boats.

 chief General Moeldoko said according to the , and an  spokesperson confirmed, that they agreed on the push-backs approach mid-December with no further comment; with Mr Abbot calling the relationship "very strong", while Indonesia's legal and security affairs minister  and foreign affairs minister  both disapproved of the approach.  General Moeldoko reportedly later said the media had misreported him.

The United Nations  (UNRA) was seeking explanation from the Australian government, it reported in a press briefing this Saturday. The UNRA spokesperson, Babar Baloch, raised legal concerns by saying that "Any such approach would raise significant issues and potentially could place Australia in breach of its obligations under the  and international law. If people who are in need for international protection seek a country's safety, then they must be allowed to go through a process which helps to determine if these people are in need."

Marke, another self-identified Somali asylum seeker, claimed earlier similar treatment, on December 10: that the Australian Navy — HMAS ''Parramatta'' and  — had claimed Christmas Island destination, towed his boat for several days, and subsequently dropped at an undisclosed location.


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