Arab News | Indonesia president picks billionaires and Islamic leaders for advisory council

JAKARTA: Indonesian President ‌Prabowo Subianto named a new advisory council on Friday that includes tycoons, politicians and influential former Islamic leaders, the latest ​in a slew of personnel changes as he grapples with a declining approval rating.

* Among the 24 new members appointed are local billionaires Dato Sri Tahir, founder of Mayapada Group, and Chairul Tanjung, CT Corp’s founder, whose businesses focus on finance, media, retail, and ‌hospitality.

* The ‌council also includes two ​former ‌leaders ⁠of the Nahdlatul ​Ulama, ⁠Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, and four senior politicians from Prabowo’s coalition partners, three of whom are former cabinet ministers.

* The advisory council was established in 2006 and Prabowo did not appoint any new members in his first two ⁠years in office.

* The changes follow two ‌cabinet reshuffles in ‌three weeks that have seen new ​finance and foreign ministers ‌appointed.

* “This is an extraordinary opportunity to ‌share our experiences,” the council’s head, Pratikno, said after the inauguration.

* The new appointments are aimed at shoring up Prabowo’s political power base, amid a ratings slide ‌and public and investor concern about his administration’s policymaking, said Arya Fernandes, an ⁠analyst at ⁠the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

* “The big homework is ensuring that this advisory council truly plays a role in formulating strategic policies,” he added.

* The advisory body also includes Anwar Usman, who was removed as Constitutional Court chief justice over an ethics violation in a case that allowed his nephew and current Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to ​be Prabowo’s running ​mate in the 2024 election, despite him not meeting the qualification criteria.