At the Denpasar Conference (18-24 December 1946) organized by Acting Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Hubertus van Mook, the State of East Indonesia was established with Balinese noble Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati was elected head of state designated as president, and Nadjamuddin Daeng Malewa was appointed as prime minister-designate.

Nadjamuddin Daeng Malewa held a series of meetings with political supporters and opponents in late May 1947 to decide on the composition of his revised cabinet.

Its composition was:[6] The politically inexperienced Prime Minister Warouw and his cabinet was accused of being overly supportive of the Dutch military offensive launched against the areas controlled by the Republicans in July 1947 during Operation Product, and was brought down by the Provisional Representative Body.

[5] At midnight on 19 December 1948, the Dutch launched another military attack against the Republic of Indonesia, codenamed Operation Kraai, and the First Gde Agung cabinet resigned in protest.

The following day, the elected representatives took their seats, while the Justice minister Chris Soumokil subsequently fled to Ambon and proclaimed the establishment of the Republic of South Maluku (RMS).

Unlike previous prime ministers who were politicians of within East Indonesia, Martinus Putuhena was an Ambon-born federal official who were later posted in Makassar, serving as the civilian chair of the Territorial Military Commission.