The Merah Putih Cabinet was officially inaugurated on Oct. 21, 2024. Over the next five years, the cabinet, consisting of 48 ministers, five agency heads, and deputy ministers, will steer national development.
The composition of the current ministers has prompted experts to analyze the prospects for eradicating corruption and achieving the government’s food and energy independence goals.
Muhammad Fatahillah Akbar, a lecturer in the Department of Criminal Law at the UGM Faculty of Law (FH UGM), emphasized that the primary element in eradicating corruption is the institution itself, namely the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
In recent years, attempts to weaken the KPK and the law have been ongoing, including requiring KPK members to become civil servants, changes in investigation regulations, and removing the KPK leadership’s authority.
“If they are bold, a law must be revised to strengthen the KPK, not weaken it. That would prove the cabinet’s commitment to eradicating corruption,” Akbar said during a discussion at Pojok Bulaksumur, titled “Assessing the Challenges of the Merah Putih Cabinet,” held on Wednesday (Oct. 30) at the UGM Campus.
He cited a report by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), which measured Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Behavior Index (IPAK) in 2024 at just 3.85%. This figure has declined compared to previous years. Therefore, eradicating corruption cannot rely on a single institution alone.
Akbar mentioned that passing the Asset Confiscation Bill would be a concrete step the government could take to reduce corruption. To date, corruptors have not been punished in proportion to the losses suffered by the state.
“Currently, laws addressing corruption account only for the recipients, givers, and clear intentions, while other damages cannot be penalized,” he said.
Additionally, Akbar urged the government and parliament to provide legal clarity throughout the system and mechanisms to close off opportunities for corruption.
“We must ensure that the goal of developing the food sector does not lead to corruption,” Akbar added.
In line with this, Alfath Bagus Panuntun, a lecturer in the Department of Politics and Government at the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM), also discussed the government’s upcoming challenges in building just and sustainable food security.
According to him, the vision of food security is still far from optimistic. The barriers are highly complex, ranging from climate change to farmer welfare and regeneration to agricultural mafias.
“It seems rather skeptical; so far, we are still discussing food security, not independence. And when discussing independence, we must also address food politics,” Panuntun explained.
Panuntun regretted that the food estate project, which has proven to be a failure, continues to be implemented and is scheduled under Prabowo’s administration.
Problems in the food sector arise from both upstream and downstream. Yet, food remains a key component of the Free Nutritious Meals program advocated by Prabowo-Gibran during the campaign.
“I believe the government needs to eradicate the mafias. This inevitably involves certain actors. Farmers are forced to buy at high prices,” he added.
He also suggested that the government create a roadmap for food independence to ensure policies are implemented in a measurable way.
On top of issues of corruption and food security, the government faces the challenge of transitioning to national energy independence. Blessed with abundant energy resources, Indonesia remains overly dependent on fossil fuel consumption.
Dr. Rachmawan Budiarto, a lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), highlighted two main points the government must address to achieve energy self-sufficiency.
“Indonesia is still struggling to enhance our financial capacity while also working to reduce carbon emissions. These two agendas will determine the nation’s future,” Dr. Budiarto explained.
Energy security and independence are two different goals that remain challenging to achieve in the current situation.
The country’s financial and economic capabilities alone cannot develop a renewable energy system. Meanwhile, by 2025, the 23% energy mix target will likely remain unmet.
Dr. Budiarto continued that the energy transition agenda is not the responsibility of a single ministry but requires collaboration and cross-cutting initiatives with other ministries.
Domestic coal reserves are depleting, the energy mix remains suboptimal, and national energy demands are increasing. The government must enhance cross-sector collaboration, particularly with the private sector, to jointly build energy self-sufficiency.
“To celebrate energy independence, Prabowo must give clear directives. For instance, energy independence must be accompanied by emissions reduction,” Dr. Budiarto concluded.
Author: Tasya
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Firsto
Post-editor: Afif