Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president, has indicated he will appoint fewer technocrats to his new cabinet than expected as he prioritises consolidation of his parliamentary majority over implementation of investor-friendly reform.

Both foreign investors and reform activists had hoped that the leader of south-east Asia’s largest economy would keep his promise to use his overwhelming election victory in July to choose ministers who would tackle the lingering challenges of endemic corruption, crumbling infrastructure and an uncertain legal system.