Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto acknowledged on Wednesday that his cabinet is the largest in the country's history, with more than 100 ministers, vice ministers, and heads of state agencies.

He argued that the size of his cabinet is necessary for a vast country like Indonesia, given the challenges it faces.

“Our cabinet consists of 48 ministers, along with strategic state agencies. The total number exceeds that of previous administrations,” Prabowo said during his government’s inaugural cabinet meeting. “It’s a sizeable number, but we govern a big nation too."

He said Indonesia is one of the world's most populous countries and operates under a democratic system that demands broad public representation within the government.

“We cannot ignore the fact that Indonesia is the fourth-most populous country in the world. In terms of land area, our nation is comparable to the [European Union], which consists of 27 countries. To manage Europe, they require 27 finance ministers, 27 defense ministers, and 27 home affairs ministers,” Prabowo explained.

“Our political system is based on democratic principles. In an authoritarian regime, it might take only a small group of people to govern the entire country.”

Prabowo added that he does not see a problem with having a large cabinet, “as long as we work efficiently.”