Ex-rival and former General Djamari Chaniago selected after protests about the economy left 10 dead last month.
Published On 17 Sep 2025
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has appointed a former rival as the new security minister after last month’s deadly protests.
On Wednesday, Subianto, a former general, named retired general Djamari Chaniago as coordinating minister for politics and security, replacing Budi Gunawan, whom he removed from the cabinet earlier this month.
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Subianto dismissed Gunawan after violent demonstrations swept across the Southeast Asian nation in late August, leaving 10 people dead.
Anger over the faltering economy erupted into full-blown violence following reports that politicians received a $3,000 housing allowance on top of their salaries – a perk equal to between 10 and 20 times Indonesia’s monthly minimum wage, depending on the region.
The unrest spread when a motorcycle delivery driver, 21-year-old Affan Kurniawan, was struck and killed by a police vehicle during protests in the capital Jakarta.
Five ministers lost their jobs, including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a technocrat who had served as the executive director of the International Monetary Fund and managing director of the World Bank.
Subianto’s decision to install Chaniago as senior security minister signals the start of