[JAKARTA] Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto replaced disaster management chief Surhayanto on Oct 15, a day after his younger brother was arrested over alleged corruption involving emergency relief funds.
The leadership change comes as Indonesia battles widespread forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, with haze spreading to neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.
Lieutenant General Kristomei Sianturi, 50, was appointed to replace Suharyanto, 59, as head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The appointment was announced at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, alongside those of Yusuf Jauhari and Richard Tampubolon as deputy defence ministers, and forestry professor Satyawan Pudyatmoko as head of the National Peatland and Mangrove Management Agency (BPGMN).
Kristomei, a two-star army general, previously commanded troops in the Sumatran provinces of Lampung and Bengkulu and served as spokesman for the Indonesian military and army.
Suharyanto, a former senior army officer, has led BNPB since November 2021 following his appointment by then President Joko Widodo. There is no fixed tenure for the agency’s chief, and no official reason was given for his replacement.
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Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political analyst at the National Research and Innovation Agency, said the change aims to restore public confidence amid regional scrutiny of Indonesia’s handling of the fires.
“The failure to fully resolve the forest fires, which have affected Malaysia and Singapore, has damaged the government’s image within Asean, particularly after Malaysia sought to raise the issue at a regional forum. This reshuffle is certainly part of efforts to restore the government’s image domestically and internationally,” he told The Straits Times.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said on Oct 12 that he would raise the transboundary haze issue at an Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila in November.
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Wasisto said the arrest of corruption suspects at BNPB was another factor behind the leadership change.
Indonesia’s anti-graft agency had arrested five people, including Bima Setyawan, the younger brother of the country’s disaster management chief, over alleged corruption involving emergency relief funds, as forest fires blanket parts of South-east Asia in haze and put pressure on the country’s disaster response efforts.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained the suspects on Oct 14, a day after carrying out raids in Jakarta and surrounding areas, over suspected irregularities in the procurement of goods and services at the BNPB.
KPK chairman Setyo Budiyanto said investigators were examining indications of collusion between agency officials and private companies over the disbursement and use of emergency funds.
“There are indications of arrangements being made, particularly over the disbursement and use of funds, some of which were misused by certain individuals for personal gain,” he told reporters on Oct 14.
The investigation centres on BNPB’s ready-to-use emergency funds, known locally as dana siap pakai, which are used to meet urgent needs during disasters, including buying essential supplies and services.
The agency has been allocated about 4.62 trillion rupiah (S$330 million) in such funds for 2026, according to The Jakarta Post. The KPK has not said whether any money earmarked for tackling the ongoing forest fires was involved.
Emergency procurement rules allow agencies to appoint suppliers directly because of the urgency of disaster response, but Setyo stressed that such spending remained subject to regulations.
Bima serves as an expert staff member to his brother, BNPB chief Suharyanto. The other suspects are Gabriel Purwaka Sigit, a BNPB official in charge of procurement commitments; Richard Erlangga, another expert staff member; and two private-sector representatives, Gery Prasetiawan and Syifa Nrika Ghifarian.
Setyo said Suharyanto was not named as a suspect.
However, Setyo stressed that investigators would focus on individual responsibility, regardless of family connections, adding: “What matters here is that the individual who committed or is suspected of committing an unlawful act is the one being held accountable.”
KPK investigators seized about 3.3 billion rupiah in cash, as well as hundreds of grams of gold and cryptocurrency, during the operation, in which 14 people were initially taken in for questioning.
The KPK is investigating suspected conflicts of interest in procurement and other alleged corruption offences, including allegations that an official used his position to approach private suppliers and arrange procurement activities.
“By being in that position, he took advantage of his status and then approached several parties whom I would describe as vendors or service providers,” Setyo said, without naming the suspect.
Setyo said the suspected irregularities may have stretched back three or four years. “Perhaps from 2022 until now, 2026, or perhaps 2023, I have forgotten,” he said.
The KPK has yet to establish the total amount allegedly misappropriated, how much may have been diverted for personal gain or the precise goods and services involved in the procurement.
The government has deployed about 70,000 personnel from BNPB, the military, police and other agencies to contain the blazes.
The allegations have prompted lawmakers to demand greater scrutiny of disaster relief spending.
Indonesian MP Abdullah, also known as Abduh, called for a comprehensive audit of BNPB’s finances by the country’s State Audit Board. “If funds that should have been used to help disaster victims were instead misappropriated, we must ask how many people may have been deprived of the assistance they needed,” he said.
The KPK has not ruled out widening the investigation if further evidence emerges or other individuals are implicated.
BNPB acting spokesman Berton Panjaitan said the agency respected the legal process and would cooperate with investigators. He acknowledged some disruption to its work, but said public services and disaster response operations would continue despite the arrests.
Indonesian MP Abdul Wachid expressed dismay at the alleged corruption, particularly as the country grapples with disasters.
“It is deeply troubling. At a time when the country is being hit by disasters and people are suffering, how can anyone exploit the situation for corruption?” he said. THE STRAITS TIMES