The New Minister of Health

Of the 34 Cabinet Ministers inducted by President SBY yesterday, there is one who is now a focus of media reports i.e. the Minister of Health Endang Rahayu Seyaningsih.

There are two reasons for this controversy, first Endang suddenly replaced President SBY's first choice for the job i.e. Nila Moeloek, wife of former Minister of Health Moeloek.
Secondly, her relationship with her predecessor, former Minister of Health Siti Fadillah Sapari was reported not good.

Endang worked at the Department of Health since 1990, but in 2008, Siti Fadillah dismissed from her position as head of the Department's Research & Development. It was rumored that she was being punished for carrying a virus specimen overseas without informing her boss. Her close relationship with US Naval Laboratory facility (Namru) in Jakarta has made her being suspected as a spy for the said lab.

After the induction ceremony, Endang told reporters that the allegation is not true. She said she will maintain relationship with the US government but not with Namru.
Later, Siti Fadilah also denied that she has accused Endang of selling the vaccine to Namru. However, she hoped that the new Minister would not change the agreement regarding Virus that Indonesia has concluded with the World Health Organization.

For detailed media reports on the above, please click here, here, here and here.

I hope that this matter would be clarified soonest possible, so that the new Minister can fully concentrate on her job.

Photo: Courtesy of Kilas Berita