Cash News
inance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has signalled that her deputy Thomas “Tommy” Djiwandono will likely remain in the ministry after president-elect Prabowo Subianto takes office on Oct. 20.
In her closing statement for a meeting on Wednesday with the House of Representative’s Commission XI, which oversees financial affairs, Sri Mulyani pointed her right elbow at Tommy and said: “Please look after my deputy minister Pakhe’s the one who will carry on,” with an air of playfulness.
However, she refrained from elaborating on what she exactly meant by that – whether Tommy would continue as the deputy minister or take up the mantle in the next administration.
Tommy is Prabowo’s nephew. He is the son of Soedradjad Djiwandono, who married Prabowo’s sister Biantiningsih Miderawati Djiwandono. His father was a central bank governor in the 1990s during the New Order era and is currently the general treasurer of Prabowo’s own Gerindra Party.
Tommy was sworn in to his post on July 18 and said in his inaugural speech that his appointment “showed the continuity” between the outgoing and incoming governments.
Dolfie Othniel Frederic Palit, deputy chair of House Commission XI answered with an equal light-heartedness: “This minister’s closing [statement] is as if we’re not going to have another meeting with This minister”.
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Dolfie who is also an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician continued, “We still have two more meetings [together]”, and the room was filled with laughter.