Ezra Sihite – A photograph of three Cabinet ministers posing with a group of miniskirt-clad caddies at an East Jakarta golf course sparked public outrage after being splashed across the front page of the local newspaper Rakyat Merdeka on Monday.

The ministers have been accused of living a lavish lifestyle at a time when many Indonesians are preparing to pay more at the pump. The government's plan to cut fuel subsidies has inspired public outcry among the nation's poorer residents, who claim a raise in fuel prices will hit them hardest.

"We're discussing the fuel hike plan. The ministers should have been shown more sensitivity with the public's feelings," House of Representatives deputy speaker Pramono Anung said on Wednesday. "The public will see that the ministers, who are supposed to serve as the backbone of the state, fail to show empathy with the fuel hikes."

The ministers in question, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik and State Minister for the Acceleration of Development in Underdeveloped Regions Helmy Faisal, were also criticized by presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha on Tuesday, calling their behavior "indecent" and "unethical."

The photo was taken at the Royale Golf Course near Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in East Jakarta. (BeritaSatu/JG)