With green camo and combat boots, Indonesia's new cabinet kicks off army retreat

Wearing military fatigues and black combat boots, the newly-appointed cabinet of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto began a mountain retreat on Friday, in an unconventional bonding exercise involving more than 100 members of his new government.

Ministers and their deputies donned caps and camouflage outfits and stood in salute at a parade ground of a military academy in Central Java province to hear briefings from Prabowo, a former special forces commander who was sworn in as Indonesia's eighth president on Sunday.

"We must work in the same rhythm for the same goals. The government doesn't work alone but as a team," Prabowo said, according to a statement from his office, which shared images of the retreat, during which ministers will sleep in air-conditioned tents.

One image showed ministers standing in lines and lunging forward during stretching exercises.

"I don't mean to make you militaristic, that's incorrect... The point of the military way is discipline, loyalty not towards Prabowo but to the nation and the state of Indonesia," 73-year-old Prabowo said.

During breakfast and lunch, Prabowo rang a bell to signal the time to pray before meals, which was then followed by cabinet members shouting "Enjoy the meals" before they ate, said Hasan Nasbi, head of the president's communication office in a statement, adding they also shouted "thank you" at the end.

"Maybe this sounds insignificant, but for me it's part of order and discipline that were taught here," Hasan said.

In their social media accounts, cabinet members posted briefings from the retreat, with topics ranging from boosting economic growth and fighting corruption.

Prabowo's cabinet is Indonesia's biggest in decades with 48 ministers and their 56 deputies. It is a diverse grouping that includes politicians, technocrats, former military officers, as well as business and religious leaders, with ages ranging from 34 to the 70s, with most members in their 50s and 60s.

Former defence minister Prabowo won the presidency in February's election by a big margin at what was his third attempt and the camp is reminiscent of his early days in the military, where he served for nearly three decades.