JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was chairing a meeting with top ministry officials when she received a call from President Prabowo Subianto’s office informing her she would be replaced within an hour, two sources said, underscoring the abruptness of the longtime finance czar’s sacking.
Sri Mulyani, known for her cautious steering of Southeast Asia’s largest economy that won the confidence of markets, was widely regarded as one of the few checks on Prabowo’s big growth and spending promises that had unnerved many investors.
Prabowo kept her on when he took power last year in a signal of policy continuity from the largely stable reign of his predecessor, but the relationship came to a sudden end less than a year in.
Two sources with direct knowledge of events leading up to Sri Mulyani’s ousting on Monday (Sep 8) told Reuters on condition of anonymity that she was in a meeting after 2.30pm (3.30pm Singapore time) when she got a call from one of Prabowo’s closest aides.
The official announcement came less than an hour later that she had been replaced by economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa.
“She was supposed to have a (meeting) agenda with the president in the morning that day, but it was cancelled,” said one of the sources, who is close to Sri Mulyani.
Sri Mulyani and the President’s office did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
It had previously been unclear if she resigned or was removed. The sources, both close to the ousted minister, one of whom was in the ministry, confirmed Sri Mulyani was asked to leave.
One more government source confirmed she did not resign, but did not comment on the chain of events.
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