THE NEW INDONESIAN CABINET

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CIA-RDP79T00826A001100010003-0
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RIPPUB
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S
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14
Document Creation Date: 
December 19, 2016
Document Release Date: 
January 25, 2006
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3
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Publication Date: 
July 30, 1966
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IM
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lease 2006/02/07: A~ 00826A001100010003-0 1966 1 5,,,'6 6 Copy N o. INTELLIGENCE MEMORAN OO N1 ' FJE NEW INI)UNNESIAN CABINL , DIRE("I'(:_ RA.'l`L OF ar,up a ,YE I Excluded from automatic t~ l_ [ downgrading and IPr{ 33- ti[O tlOn Approved For Release 2006/02/07: CIA-RDP79T00826A001100010003-0 Approved Not Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00006AO01100010003-0 This Document contains information affecting the Na- tional Defense of the United States, within the mean- ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited. Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0 Approved For Release 2006SA, ,"9T00826AQ 100010003-0 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Directorate of Intelligence 30 July 1966 INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM* The New Indonesian Cabinet Summary The new Indonesian cabinet installed on 23 July is a further victory for army chief General Suharto over President Sukarno. Though Sukarno had strongly objected, Suharto heads the cabinet, and the other two members of the triumvirate which directed the previous government--Adam Malik and the Sultan of Jogjakarta--have also been retained. The cabinet represents a compromise between the army and the po- litical parties, and to some extent with,Sukarno. It is perhaps weak in the economic sphere, but it is nonetheless better than any other Indonesian govern- ment of the past several years. The triumvirate presumably will continue to pur- sue the policy objectives established by the preced- ing cabinet. These include the suppression of Com- munism, economic stabilization, and, through a "free and active" foreign policy, the re-establishment of friendly relations with the West and the search for economic assistance from both V,estern and bloc countries. With the domestic political situation now largely. responsive to army control, non-Communist civilian elements will expect the cabinet to take ,f*7QTQQ22G_A_QQ1 10001000" Approved Fa- r R-a- le- 2" e- 90lF Approved For Rse 200&CREUP79T00826AW 100010003-0 effective measures to reverse Indon.esia's severe economic deterioration. Apparently this is equally the hope of the government. Though economic con- ditions seem likely to get worse before they can. start to improve, the Indonesians will probably be able to scrape by for at least several months on. their new limited foreign. credits and with some in.tragovern.men.t manipulation of funds. Their hope is that creditor nations will agree to ease the schedule of payments on Indonesia's large interna- tional debt and that arrangements can soon. be made for large-scale foreign. economic assistance. Approved For Rel 826A001100010003-0 V M" I 7Wcae 200SEC, &N --7qT I Approved For R 0826AQp+1100010003-0 1. The 27-member Indonesian cabinet which was installed on 28 July is, as had been anticipated, a victory for army chief General Suharto in the pro- longed effort to reduce President Sukarno's authority and prestige. Not only does Suharto head the cabinet, but the other two members of the triumvirate which directed the preceding government--Adam Malik and the Sultan of Jogjakarta--have also been retained. Though much opposed by Sukarno, this triumvirate is a team that works well together and is a combination uniquely acceptable to the army and to much of the nation.. Presidium 2. Suharto is both chairman and member of the cabinet "presidium" of five "first ministers." Each of the first ministers presides over a group of port- folios. Suharto supervises the defense and security sector of the cabinet, and, as army commander, holds the army portfolio. Adam Malik, who aside from Su- harto is probably the ablest man in the cabinet, pre- sides over the political affairs sector and also holds the post of foreign minister. The Sultan of Jogjakarta holds no portfolio, but as first minister for economics and finance he will supervise six min- istries. The other two first ministers, neither of whom holds a portfolio, are representatives of Indo- nesia's two largest parties--Chalid of the Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and Sanusi of the National Party (PNI). Chalid has under him the ministries associated with people's welfare. Sanusi will supervise the minis- tries of industry and development. 3. The triumvirate remains the core of the cabinet. Suharto and the Sultan, both Javanese, bring to the government the strength of the army on the one hand and the prestige of an enlightened aristocrat on the other. Both also contribute a fine understanding of the complexities of Javanese life. Adam Malik, a Sumatran., represents the outer islands and brings to the cabinet a courageous and clearsighted statesmanship. 25X1 RW nTn 826A001100010003-0 Approved For Releases ^"'^ :FW%9 Approved For Rse RAEQ'F9T00826AW 100010003-0 4. Each triumvirate member has his roots in the Indonesi an struggle for independ ence. Malik, who was poli tically active before Wo rld War II, has the longest record of sustained effo rt. Su harto had an excellent military record in the war aga inst the Dutch, and he participated in the suppression. of the 1948 Communist revolt at Madiun in East Java. The Sultan strongly supported the independence revolution and it was he who, as acting prime minister in 1949, accepted the transfer of sovereignty from the Dutch in Djakarta. 5. Neither Suharto nor the Sultan has ever been affiliated with a political party, but both lean to- ward secular nationalism. Malik has almost no or- ganized political following--a fact which endears him to Suharto and at the same time relieves him of the need to accommodate factions loyal to him. Malik is strongly oriented toward pragmatic socialism and, in his capacity as supervisor of political affairs, is currently encouraging a movement called "Pan.tjasila Socialism." The Moslem parties dislike Malik, fearing that his presence in the cabinet presidium may pre- judice their own political future. All of the tri- umvirs are Moslems, with Malik probably the most devout of the three. Cabinet Composition 6. The composition of the cabinet is a com- promise among the army, the political parties, and Sukarno. The only major army accommodation of Su- karno, however, is the inclusion of Chalid, the corrupt and opportunistic chairman of the NU. The cabinet is a disappointment to some Indonesians, including Adam Malik, who had hoped for a govern- ment of well-qualified technicians. These critics complain. that the lack of expertise in certain cab- inet posts is the result of concessions to Sukarno. 7. Political parties play a secondary role to that of the army in the cabinet, but they still have a stronger position. in the government than. they have had for several years. Five parties hold eight port- folios. The NU, the PNI, and the small Catholic Party have two each; the Christian (Protestant) Party and the pro-Army Association of Supporters for Indo- nesian Independence (IPKI) have one each. Approved For Releas Approved For R 6AW100010003-0 8. Suharto claims that political participation in the government is based on, the main currents of Indonesian society. He has characterized these cur- rents as consisting of nationalists, religious group- ings, and "Pan.tjasila Socialists," thus preserving the NASASOS variation of Sukarno's rallying cry NASAKOM. (NASAKOM is an. acronym formed from the Indo- nesian words for nationalism, religion, and Communism; NASASOS is a similar acronym for which socialism is substituted for Communism.) 9. Military officers--in.cludin.g representatives of the army, the navy, the air force, and the police-- hold 12 portfolios. Six of these--army, veterans' affairs, home affairs, trade, agriculture, and basic and light industries--are held by army officers. 10. The economic and finance sector under the Sultan. of Jogjakarta appears to be the weakest area of the cabinet and has been. the chief target of Malik's complaints. Malik fears that the people given economic portfolios--some military officers and some so-called technicians--are not equal to their tasks. Other sources have questioned the tech- nical competence of several of these ministers and have characterized some as opportunistic or corrupt. The Sultan himself brings integrity and prestige to the cabinet but no economic training. The possi- bility remains, however, that trained economists will fill high-ranking civil service positions i mediately below the ministerial level. 11. In.donesia's economy inevitably will become a political problem, since the pace of economic re- covery is bound to be slow and will be regarded as unsatisfactory by many Indonesian elements. The Sultan's prestige may prove of considerable political value as economic difficulties continue. Although the inclusion of economic ministers who lack the normal requirements for such posts may be in part the result of concessions to Sukarno, the appoint- ments may also indicate a decision. by Suharto to seek unorthodox means to continue the government's hand-to-mouth existence. Several of the ministers are reported to have proved themselves adept at Approved For Relea Approved For se 9006b&ti rffknCl d12Z91aW26AW 100010003-0 coming up with operating funds for the government in the period of near chaos following the coup at- tempt of last October, and Suharto may hope they can repeat this performance in the immediate future. Cabinet Policy 12. The nation's highest policy-making body, the Provisional Consultative People's Assembly (MPRS), in June laid down a broad four-point program for the next government. This program, which followed policy lines already established by the preceding cabinet, called for solving the economic situation, for fol- lowing an independent and active foreign policy, and for holding general elections. It also gave lip service to the continued struggle against "colonialism, imperialism, and neocolonialism." 13. The triumvirate presumably will continue its established policies. Domestically, Suharto has worked for a partial return to constitutional govern- ment, the maintenance of some restrictive political controls, an. accommodation--within the framework of army policies--of the wishes of the various non- Communist groups, the gradual reduction. of Sukarno's power and prestige, and the continued suppression of the Communists. Elections are to be held sometime before July 1968; indications are that the earliest possible date is late 1967. 14. In foreign policy, Indonesia is resuming friendly relations with the West and has sharply disengaged from Sukarno's pro-Peking policy. For- eign Minister Malik hopes Indonesia can, resume ac- tive membership in the United Nations this September. Indonesia is reducing its diplomatic presence in Africa, and for the present at least shows little interest in maintaining Sukarno's ambition for leadership in the Afro-Asian. world. 15. The cabinet will probably continue its moves toward ending the three-year confrontation with Malaysia and Singapore. Talks with Malaysia in late May produced an agreement to end hostili- ties, though Djakarta has so far failed to sign the agreement, claiming that the Indonesian. domestic po- litical situation does nOt permit this. Djakarta Approved For Relea A001100010003-0 Approved For Re 6A0QJ.,100010003-0 recognized the government of Singapore in early June and has sent a mission there to discuss the resump- tion of trade. Indications are that Indonesia de- sires the economic and diplomatic benefits that would come from an end of confrontation] 16. In the economic realm, Suharto and his col- leagues have curtailed injudicious domestic spending and have negotiated limited credits from several Western. nations. Indonesia has applied for readmis- sion to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It has agreed to the demand of Western creditor nations that any rescheduling of Indonesia's interna- tional debt payments be decided on a multilateral basis. A meeting to discuss this debt problem is scheduled for mid-September in Tokyo, and nine or more nations probably will participate--the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Australia, and New Zealand, and perhaps Canada and Pakistan. 17. Suharto and those around him, both military and civilian, base their hopes for economic progress largely on an infusion of foreign, aid as a boost to- ward long-range stabilization and improvement of the country's economic base. The Sultan of Jogjakarta plans to visit several Western. European countries in late August to discuss aid prospects and in mid- September he may-attend the Tokyo meeting of In.do- nesia's creditors. Later in September he expects to visit the United States. Foreign Minister Malik has for some time been. planning a trip to the Soviet Union to discuss the rescheduling of debt payments (the USSR is Indonesia's largest single creditor) and to explore the possibility of further Soviet economic assistance. No definite date has yet been set. Approved For Relea - 6A001100010003-0 Approved For R se 2qq1WRt - P79T00826A `I100010003-0 F-- I SUHARTO, General Suharto, General Mulj adi , Admiral Rusmin Nurjadin, Air Marshal Sutj ipto Judos iha'djo, Commissioner General Sarbini, Major General CHAIRMAN OF THE PRESIDIUM FIRST MINISTER FOR DEFENSE AND SECURITY Minister for the Army/ Commander of the Army Minister for the Navy/ Commander of the Navy Minister for the Air Force/ Commander of the Air Force Minister for Police/Chief of Police Minister for Demobilization and Veterans Affairs MALIK, ADAM FIRST MINISTER FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS Malik, Adam Basuki Rachmat, Major General Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Home Affairs Senoadji, Umar Minister for Justice Diah, Burhanuddin Mohammed Minister for Information. SULTAN OF JOGJAKARTA, FIRST MINISTER FOR ECONOMICS BUWONO IX AND FINANCE Ashari Danudirdjo, Minister for Trade Major General Seda, Frans Minister for Finance Sutopo, Air Commodore Minister for Communications Jatidjan., Rear Admiral Minister for Maritime Affairs Sutjipto, Brigadier General Minister for Agriculture Harjosudirjo Minister for Estates CHALID, IDHAM Sarin.o Man.gunpranoto Saifuddin Zuhri Tambunan Siwabessy, Gerrit Augustinus Awaluddin. Djamin., Brigadier General Approved For Rele FIRST MINISTER FOR PEOPLE'S WELFARE Minister for Education. and Culture Minister for Religion Minister for Social Affairs Minister for Public Health Minister for Manpower Mobilization Approved For R44 0826A0100010003-0 SANUSI HARDJADINATA FIRST MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND DEVELOPMENT Jusuf, Mohammad Minister for Basic and Major General Light Industries and Energy Sanusi, Mohammad Minister for Textiles and Handicraft Industries Bratanata Minister for Oil and Mining Sutami Minister for Public Works Approved For Relea Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0 Next 12 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0 -In Approved Felease 2006/0/07 -CIA=RDP79T00001100010003-0 Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0 SECRET 25X1 Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0 Next 6 Page(s) In Document Exempt Approved For Release 2006/02/07 : CIA-RDP79T00826AO01100010003-0