Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has advised ministers in his Red and White Cabinet to refrain from making public comments that could incite controversy or discomfort. According to State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, the President has urged the ministers to be careful in their public remarks.
"Ministers are also asked to speak in a way that does not cause discomfort to other parties, to other institutions, and especially to the public," he said at the Presidential Palace Complex in Central Jakarta on Friday, May 23, 2025.
Prasetyo further conveyed that Prabowo wants his cabinet ministers to focus on their work and deliver tangible benefits to society.
However, he clarified that Prabowo would not necessarily conduct a cabinet reshuffle solely for ministers who violate this directive. He explained that inappropriate public communication does not always correlate with poor performance.
"Something conveyed inappropriately does not necessarily mean that their performance is inadequate. This means that a reshuffle will not be immediately conducted after such a violation," he said.
Previously, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin attracted public attention after making controversial remarks. The Health Minister, serving under both Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, suggested that a person's salary can also be a measure of their intelligence and health.
"If someone is not healthy and smart, it's not possible for their salary to be Rp15 million; it's definitely Rp5 million," Budi Gunadi remarked during a discussion forum titled 'Health Vision in the Prabowo Era' in Jakarta on Saturday, May 17, 2025. He then added, "Now the challenge is how to increase it from Rp5 million to Rp15 million in 2045."
Prior to this statement, Minister Budi had also caused a stir by suggesting that men wearing size 33 jeans might be more prone to earlier deaths. According to him, this condition indicates obesity, which is associated with a higher risk of mortality.
– Hendrik Khoirul Muhid, Dede Leni, Dinda Shabrina, and Dewi Nurita contributed to the writing of this article.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2010365/prabowo-asks-cabinet-ministers-to-be-careful-with-public-statement