Jakarta – Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti is the most popular member of President Joko Widodo's cabinet, according to one survey released Saturday.

The survey by the Populi Center found Susi was voted the most popular by 31.3 percent out of a total 1,200 respondents.

Susi was a colourful entrepreneur before being selected as fisheries minster. Susi ran a successful fisheries business in her home town of Pangandaran on the southern coast of Java.

Out of frustration at not being able to deliver fresh products to Jakarta because of the lack of road infrastructure between Jakarta and Pangandaran, she started an airline, Susi Air.

The minister calculates that illegal fishing costs Indonesia $25 billion and her policy of blowing up ships seized in Indonesia's waters has played well with voters.

Social affairs minister, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, and education minister Anies Baswedan ranked second and third, respectively, with 8.2 and 6 percent of the votes respectively. Transport minister Ignasius Jonan was preferred by 1.7 percent of the survey participants.

The survey, conducted from Jan 16-22, also revealed that the House of Representatives was deemed the most corrupt institution by 39.7 of the respondents, followed by the National Police with 14.2 percent.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/big-fish-susi-far-popular-minister-survey/