Amien Rais Responds to Prabowo Subianto's Position in Cabinet
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28 October 2019 20:03 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Mandate Party (PAN) senior politician Amien Rais said he had his own way in responding to the appointment of Prabowo Subianto as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s defense minister.
“For now, I am still containing myself, because I have to be fair and sportive,” he told Tempo at a Koran study-cum-discussion event titled Islam and Communism (The Danger of Latent Communism) at Jami Karangkajen Mosque in Yogyakarta on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
The former speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) said he wanted to give Prabowo and Jokowi’s second cabinet a chance to work.
“Give [them] some time to consolidate and do other things. But if after six months it turns out that [Prabowo] cannot do anything, we will make our move,” he said.
Amien Rais added he did not want anyone to misinterpret his stance--restraining himself and being non-committal on Prabowo’s decision to be part of Jokowi’s cabinet--as a gesture of blessing, rejection, or approval.
PRIBADI WICAKSONO (CONTRIBUTOR)