Former health minister candidate offered MDG post

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/08/2009 12:24 PM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has offered Nila Anfasa Moeloek, a failed Health Minister candidate, a position as the country's Millennium Development Goals (MDG) envoy.

Yudhoyono repeated the offer as he opened Monday the national meeting of Dharma Wanita, an organization for wives of state officials.

The organization has been chaired for the past 10 years by Nila, the wife of former health minister Farid Anfasa Moeloek.

Nila has stated her willingness to leave the top seat at Dharma Wanita, and appears to have been offered the special envoy position last month.

She has yet, however, to respond to Yudhoyono's request.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank and express my appreciation to Professor Nila Moeloek," Yudhoyono said, adding that he understood Nila's decision to leave her post at Dharma Wanita.

"I once said, I want Ibu Nila to be Indonesia's special envoy and ambassador for the MDG. But she has yet to give me the answer.

"Hopefully after doing the istikharah *the prayer for seeking guidance*, she will want to," he said, prompting the audience's laughter.

Nila, a professor from the University of Indonesia's School of Medicine, was among 34 ministerial candidates summoned by Yudhoyono to his private residence in Cikeas, South of Jakarta, for the so-called fit-and-proper test shortly before the announcement of the Cabinet members for the 2009-2014 period.

She was the only candidate who failed to secure a ministerial seat, with Endang Sedyaningsih, the former Health Ministry research and development unit chief, replacing her at the last minute and to become the new Health Minister.

Nila reportedly failed the medical test.

Speaking to journalists after Monday's event at the Presidential Palace, Nila acknowledged that Yudhoyono had offered her the position a month ago and he had given her time to consider it.

"I had to leave for a month because my daughter was giving birth.

"I asked for his permission," she said.

Nila said, however, she had yet to decide whether to receive the offer.

"I have to firstly measure my capacity before receiving the offer, if I am capable to do the job.

"I also have to weigh up the pros and cons."

Yudhoyono said at the ceremony that women had played a crucial role in helping achieve the MDG.

"I'm happy and proud to say that Indonesian women are not passive or apathetic.

"They are engaged in constructive activities in national development.

"Women are not just spectators and neither are they a problem," Yudhoyono said.