JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s president announced a Cabinet reshuffle Monday, replacing key economic and security ministers after deadly protests erupted across the country over lawmakers’ perks.
The Cabinet shake-up comes as public dissatisfaction rose with President Prabowo Subianto’s administration and the parliament’s perceived insensitivity over economic hardships.
Five ministers lost their jobs, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a widely respected technocrat and former managing director of the World Bank, and Budi Gunawan, the coordinating minister for politics and security.
Subianto chose Indonesian economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, chairman of the Deposit Insurance Corporation, to replace Indrawati.
Violent protests that left seven people dead had gripped Southeast Asia’s largest economy, home to more than 280 million people, after reports that all 580 members of the House of Representatives receive a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah ($3,075), in addition to their salaries. The allowance, which was introduced last year, is nearly 10 times the minimum wage in Jakarta.
Critics argue that the perk isn’t only excessive, but also insensitive at a time when most people are grappling with a soaring cost of living, taxes and rising unemployment.
