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In his first comments since Tuesday’s cabinet reshuffle, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spelled out a long list of familiar priorities, from tackling corruption to addressing religious extremism and violence and protecting migrant workers.

Speaking at Wednesday’s  swearing-in of his new ministers at the State Palace, Yudhoyono identified several “critical” areas where anticorruption measures remained ineffective.

“Let us make corruption eradication our primary agenda,” the president said. “It would be unfair to work day and night to enhance the prosperity of the people and the state while corruption continues to take place and state money is being looted by irresponsible people.”

He added that in the fight against corruption, no one should be above the law, including legislatures or officials in his own administration.

Yudhoyono called on nongovernmental organizations, the public and the press to help contribute to preventing corruption. He also expressed hope that the police would not be tempted by corruption.

He also said that his administration and the House of Representatives needed to take the lead to end the practice of lobbying during state budget discussions, a murky process he said could lead to corruption.

“A large portion of state funds are not used optimally and many members of the central and regional governments, as well as legislators, are involved in corrupt practices,” he said.

He also said budget allocations were still made with little transparency and were difficult to account for.

“Let us prevent opaque lobbying of government,” he said.

Yudhoyono called on the police to take steps to prevent graft and invited the Financial Transaction and Reports Analysis Center (PPATK), the police and the prosecutors’ office to jointly work to safeguard state money.

But he did not specify what these “effective steps” should be.

He also called for efforts to eradicate the “judicial mafia.”

Referring to Antasari Azhar, the jailed former chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Yudhoyono said any doubts in the case should be investigated.

Antasari has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against an 18-year prison sentence for the murder of businessman  Nasruddin Zulkarnaen in 2009. He and his lawyer claim that he was framed and have pointed to what they say are discrepancies during the trial.

The public wants “truth and clarity,” Yudhoyono said.

The president also pointed to the rising level of communal conflict and terrorism and reiterated his call for everyone across the country to work hard on the prevention and early detection of extremism.

“It should not be as if the state is allowing them to proceed,” he said. He added that the state should be able to ensure a feeling of safety for all citizens, including in religious practice.

“I hope that religious and public figures can safeguard harmony among us all and seek a solution to the conflicts,” Yudhoyono said.

“They should not instead come out with provocative statements.”

He also said that the eradication of poverty, boosting  food and energy security, improving the performance of state enterprises and the protection of Indonesian workers overseas were among the other priority issued that needed to be addressed by the new cabinet.