Agus Gumiwang appointed as social affairs minister

IDRUS MARHAM - JAKARTA. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed Golkar Party politician Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita as the new social affairs minister, replacing fellow Golkar politician Idrus Marham, who resigned after being named a graft suspect.  

Agus, the son of senior politician Ginandjar Kartasasmita, was inaugurated at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday afternoon, just hours after Idrus' resignation.

“The Social Affairs Ministry has an urgent task of handling the [post-disaster management] in West Nusa Tenggara. So we decided to immediately name [Idrus’] successor,” the President said after the inauguration.

Agus has served as a Golkar lawmaker since 2004 and is currently sitting as the secretary of the Golkar faction at the House of Representatives.

He is also listed as a member of Jokowi’s campaign team.  

Idrus submitted his resignation letter to Jokowi on Friday afternoon, citing his ethical and moral obligation to step down.

The Golkar politician, who was named a suspect in a case of alleged embezzlement surrounding the development of a coal-powered power plant in Riau, said he had been notified by the Corruption Eradication Commission about his suspect status in the case.