Prabowo appoints billionaires, politicians and Muslim leaders to presidential advisory council

Mixed · 2Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto named a new presidential advisory council on Friday 2 October, made up of tycoons, politicians and influential Muslim figures. 1 2 Mixed · 2Reuters, carried by Arab News, counted 24 new members, while the South China Morning Post said 26 people were designated. 1 2 Right · 1Members include billionaires Dato Sri Tahir of Mayapada Group and Chairul Tanjung of CT Corp, two former leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama (Indonesia's largest Islamic organisation), and four senior politicians from Prabowo's coalition partners, three of them former cabinet ministers. 1

Centre · 1The South China Morning Post names others: Pratikno as chair, Hatta Rajasa as vice-chairman, Muhammad Qodari as secretary, Budi Gunawan, commentator Rocky Gerung, scholar Quraish Shihab, Sinta Nuriyah Wahid and Said Aqil Siradj, a former Nahdlatul Ulama leader. 2 Mixed · 2Another member is Anwar Usman, a former Constitutional Court chief justice who was removed over an ethics violation in the case that let Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Anwar's nephew, run as Prabowo's 2024 running mate; the SCMP adds that Anwar is Joko Widodo's brother-in-law. 1 2 Mixed · 2The council was established in 2006 and Prabowo appointed no members in his first two years in office; the SCMP says it advises on the direction of policy but has no power to set or control it, and that Prabowo also has a separate 10-member board of special advisers. 1 2

Mixed · 2The appointments follow two cabinet reshuffles in three weeks that brought in new finance and foreign ministers; in Thursday's reshuffle, several figures linked to former president Joko Widodo left key posts, and police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo was moved to presidential chief of staff. 1 2 Mixed · 2Both outlets link the moves to Prabowo's falling approval rating; the SCMP cites a Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting survey that put approval at 51.1 per cent in August, down from 81.2 per cent in November. 1 2 Mixed · 2Analysts quoted offered a political reading: Arya Fernandes of CSIS said the appointments aim to shore up Prabowo's power base, and Yoes Kenawas of the Indonesian Survey Institute said keeping influential figures close prevents opposition forming outside the government. 1 2

Right · 1Council head Pratikno called the role "an extraordinary opportunity to share our experiences", and Fernandes said the challenge is ensuring the council helps formulate strategic policy. 1 Centre · 1Rocky Gerung said the council would advise on "ethical" rather than "technical" matters, and that it would also be responsible for shaping public perception to align with the president's; researcher Wasisto Raharjo Jati said it "does not hold a strategic position". 2 Centre · 1The SCMP also reports questions about Prabowo's relationship with Widodo, now a member of the Indonesian Solidarity Party; Widodo called the reshuffle Prabowo's prerogative, and analyst Yoes said a sweeping dismissal of Widodo loyalists would be akin to "an open war with Jokowi". 2