Mahfud MD: The current number of ministries is very sufficient

Law Number 39 of 2008 concerning State Ministries is considered to cover all state affairs.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin took a photo together with the prospective ministers who will be inaugurated in front of the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday (23/10/2019).

SLEMAN, KOMPAS – Mahfud MD revealed that the discourse on adding ministers to the next government cabinet is not healthy for the nation's future. The current number of 34 ministries, as regulated by Law Number 39 of 2008 concerning State Ministries, is considered sufficient.

This was stated by Mahfud after becoming the keynote speaker in a national seminar themed "Implementation of the 2024 Election: Evaluation and Future Ideas", at the campus of the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII), in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

According to the UII constitutional law professor, Law Number 39 of 2008 came about through a long discussion process. This law addresses the absence of regulations regarding number of ministries since the New Order era. At that time, the president held the prerogative over the formation of ministries.

This has enabled the president at that time to potentially use ministerial and ambassadorial positions as political compensation that can change based on immediate political needs. "That's why the State Ministry Law was created," said the vice presidential candidate in the 2024 elections.

Mahfud MD was present at the discussion and launch of the book 'Maintaining Danyang Journalism & Caring for Indonesianness and Humanity' by Kompas journalist Budiman Tanuredjo at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Monday (26/2/2024).

According to Mahfud, Law Number 39/2008 has already covered all state affairs that need to be carried out by the ministries according to their needs. The number of 34 ministries is based on a long study, including field studies and comparative studies to a number of countries.

The number of ministers used to be 26, and now it's 34, with plans to add more. In the next election, the number is projected to increase to 60. With every election and coalition expansion, the number grows, causing damage to our country.

Therefore, he believes that the formation of the next cabinet should be based enough on the aforementioned law. Even if there are still matters that have not been accommodated, according to him, they can be included in existing ministries as directorates-general.

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When speaking at a seminar, Mahfud also mentioned the discourse about adding more ministers. According to him, this has become a concern every time after an election.

"The number of Ministers used to be 26, now it's 34, and they want to add more. In the next election, it will increase to 60. And with every election, it will keep increasing because the coalition is getting wider and they are demanding more ministerial positions. This will damage the country," he said.

APHTN-HAN Secretary General Bayu Dwi Anggono, Sunday (5/5/2024), revealed that seven findings and recommendations resulted from the study of the constitutional arrangement of the presidential cabinet by the review team (Kompas.id, 5/5 /2024).

Among them, not all government affairs mentioned in the 1945 Constitution are regulated in the State Ministry Law. The number of existing ministries also cannot accommodate all government affairs mentioned in the 1945 Constitution. Therefore, one option is to add several new ministries to make it 41 ministries.

Also read: Reorganizing State Ministries, Cabinet Proposed to Fill with 41 Ministers

Regarding this, several political parties supporting presidential and vice-presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka claim that adding the number of ministers is just a mere concept. This has not been thoroughly discussed within the coalition. Although not serious yet, parties remain open as long as it is in line with the needs, plans, and government programs.

"As far as I know, this is just a thin discourse. "Even if it is carried out, it needs to revise the State Ministry Law and it is necessary to ensure the significance of the additional need," said Chairman of the PAN Expert Council Dradjad Wibowo (Kompas.id, 7/5/2024).