AHY Denies Jokowi’s Offer to Replace Mahfud MD as Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MALANG — General Chair of the DPP Democratic Party, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) admitted that he had never received an offer to fill the position of coordinating minister for politics, law and security (menko polhukam), which was vacant after Mahfud MD officially resigned. Mahfud resigned because he wanted to focus on the activities of the vice presidential candidate (cawapres).

The news that President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) offered the position of coordinating minister for politics, law and security to AHY emerged because the two of them had eaten together in Yogyakarta City on Sunday (28/1/2024) morning WIB. AHY emphasized, never communicated about joining President Jokowi’s cabinet.

“There is no (offer to fill the position of coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs). Who did the offer come from? I had no communication about that,” said AHY to journalists at the Gajayana Stadium, Malang City, East Java, Thursday (1/2/2024).

Regarding Mahfud’s resignation, AHY admitted that he respected the political choice of vice presidential candidate number 3. AHY also feels it is necessary to respect the figures who currently still serve as ministers to help President Jokowi.

“That (being a minister) is a noble job. Not everyone has the opportunity for that. We hope that all of them can carry out their duties well,” said the 2000 Adhi Makayasa Akmil winner.

Mahfud officially resigned from his position as coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs on Wednesday (31/1/2024). He said that he would continue to hold this strategic position until President Jokowi issued a presidential decree (Keppres) regarding his dismissal.

Executive Director of the Institute for Democracy and Strategic Affairs (Indostrategic), Ahmad Khoirul Umam, predicts that the Democratic Party will enter Jokowi’s government after Mahfud’s resignation. According to him, this signal was seen when a few days before Mahfud resigned, there was a meeting between Jokowi and AHY in Yogyakarta.

“With this calculation, President Jokowi’s meeting with PD Chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) in Yogyakarta a few days ago, could have been a signal for Jokowi to roll out the blue carpet for AHY’s entry into the position of minister in the current Jokowi government,” said Umam in Jakarta , Wednesday (31/1/2024).