The Mining advocacy network (Jatam) has alleged that a larger part of the President Prabowo Subianto Cabinet has direct and/or indirect link to extractive oligarchy.
“Thirty four out of the 48 ministers in President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet have direct and indirect link to businesses. From that number, about 15 ministers have affiliations with extractive business,” Jatam campaigner Alfarhat Kasman said in a statement obtained by Indonesia Business Post on Friday, November 22, 2024.
Alfarhat claimed that Jatam has conducted in-depth research on legal and official documents before jumping into conclusion on the ministers’ link with businesses, in particular extractive industry.
He cited Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, who has businesses in the mining sector, as one of the ministers who have links with extractive industry. Bahlil’s companies include PT. Papua Unggul and Rifa Capital.
Another is Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, who was a CEO and commissioner at PT Multi Harapan Utama, a coal mining company that has link to Harvey Moeis, a suspect in tin graft case that caused ecological loss of Rp 300 trillion (US$19 billion).
Also included are Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, whose elder brother Garibaldi Thohir is President Commissioner at mining company PT Puncak Emas Tani Sejahtera, who also has shares in giant coal mining company PT. Adaro International; and Minister of Investment and Downstream Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, who was a commissioner at PT Kaltim Prima Coal from 2003 to 2007, a CEO of PT Berau Coal in 2003 and commissioner of PT Arutmin Indonesia from 2001 to 2007.
Others are Ministry of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, owner of petrochemical company PT Agusmas Gumiwang, which had link with PT Golden Key Group owned by fugitive Edy Tansil; as well as Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, Deputy Minister of Forestry Sulaiman Umar Siddiq, and Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi, who all have affiliation with Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad or Haji Isam, coal-based conglomerate from South Kalimantan.
“Dody Hanggodo was a commissioner at PT Pradiksi, a company owned by Haji Isam’s son, from 2019 to 2020. Andi Amran Sulaiman was a relative of Haji Isam and founder of palm oil, nickel and gold company PT Tisan Group. Sulaiman Umar Siddiq is a brother-in-law of Haji Isam and Dudy Purwagandhi was a director at PT Jhonlin Marine Trans and PT Jhonlin Air Transport, both are owned by Haji Isam,” Alfarhat said.
Haji Isam declared himself as supporter of Prabowo in the 2024 presidential election. He was also Deputy Treasurer for the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin’s 2019 Presidential Election Winning Team.
Palace’s response
Chief of President Prabowo Subianto’s Communication Office, Hasan Nasbi, declined to comment on the allegations thrown against the cabinet ministers.
“Cabinet ministers are working hard and competing to realize the President’s priority and best quick yielding programs. So, we do not want to respond to such accusations,” Hasan Nasbi told Indonesia Business Post in response to the Post’s request to comment on Jatam’s allegations.
Returning the favor
Alfarhat said cabinet composition, policy choices, and the ministers’ particular affiliation with certain leading figures in the extractive industry apparently emphasize on political contract or political bond that has been established since the 2024 Presidential Election.
He noticed the practice of “returning the favor” of the new government by giving strategic positions to loyalists as presidential aides and by issuing policies that can perpetuate business interests of Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka supporters.
“The aroma of reciprocity is also apparent from the background composition of the presidential aides who come from political parties,” he concluded.
