The reassignment of President Prabowo Subianto’s nephew Thomas Djiwandono to the senior post of the country’s central bank has fueled speculations of a cabinet reshuffle, with attention turning to the possible appointment of another family member to an executive post.
President Prabowo Subianto prepares to address an inauguration ceremony for new ministers and deputy ministers on Sept. 8, 2025, at the State Palace in Central Jakarta, following the first reshuffle of his administration. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
he reassignment of President Prabowo Subianto’s nephew Thomas Djiwandono to the senior post of the country’s central bank has fueled speculation of a cabinet reshuffle, with attention turning to the possible appointment of another family member to an executive post.
Thomas, who currently serves as one of two deputy finance ministers, secured the endorsement of the government-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday for the Bank Indonesia (BI) deputy governor post left empty by Juda Agung’s resignation a week earlier, beating two candidates who are central bank officials.
Once inaugurated by the Supreme Court, Thomas will join the central bank board, composed of a governor and several deputy governors, to help maintain financial stability and support sustainable economic growth, leaving his post at the Finance Ministry vacant.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said on Tuesday that Juda has emerged as a strong candidate for the deputy finance minister post, while emphasizing that the final decision lies with the President.
This vacancy at the ministry is widely expected to trigger wider changes in Prabowo’s more than 100-member cabinet, with attention also turning to the President’s other nephew, Budi Djiwandono, a lawmaker from Prabowo’s own Gerindra Party.
Speculation is rife that Budi might become the new foreign minister after lawmaker Utut Adianto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said in a Monday meeting of the House Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs that he suspected that the person sitting to his right “might soon be in the executive branch”. Utut did not name the individual but Budi at the time sat to his right.
Budi and Thomas are sons of former BI governor Soedradjad Djiwandono and his wife, Biantiningsih Miderawati Djojohadikusumo, Prabowo’s elder sister.
Similarly, the Minister of Human Rights, Natalius Pigai, dismissed rumors of a Cabinet reshuffle. He called the reshuffle mere speculation exaggerated by the media.
Pigai emphasized that State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi’s statement that President Prabowo Subianto had no plans for a reshuffle was sufficient. He argued that if the State Secretary stated no plans, the issue was no longer worth debating.
