President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s weak leadership is to blame for the open bickering between Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, says Fadli Zon.

'€œThis highlights the President's inability to manage his Cabinet, so it's a leadership problem," House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon said in Jakarta on Thursday, referring to the open debate between Rizal Ramli and Sudirman.

Most recently, Rizal poked fun of Sudirman over the Masela block development plan, via his Twitter account. He had openly criticized Sudirman on several prior occasions, most notably in regard to Sudirman'€™s indecision on Freeport Indonesia's operating permit last year, and his granting of an export permit extension despite Freeport's failure to meet government requirements.

In response to Rizal'€™s critic, Sudirman said: "Do not start polemics. You, who pretends to strive for the people, who deceives, who claims to know best, who wants to change the mind of Masela's investors, stop fooling the public because one day your filthy intentions will be uncovered".

Fadli said that such an incident would not occur if all ministers followed policies decided by the President in the Cabinet meeting.

Jokowi should do something, he could use reshuffle as a punishment for those ministers who do not follow the President'€™s policies, said the deputy speaker, adding that the recent open bickering between the two ministers was not merely a signal from the President to reshuffle his Cabinet.

"A reshuffle is the President's prerogative. He can do it whenever he wants," Fadli said.

Speaking separately, House speaker Ade Komarudin called on the ministers to have a more united stance when making public statements.

The clash of opinion between the two ministers occurred as Jokowi cautiously considered his decision on the Masela block. Rizal's team believed the nation's biggest deep-water gas block should be developed via an onshore scheme, as it would provide a greater multiplier effect for local communities.

Sudirman, in contrast, tended to agree with the block developer '€” a cooperation between Japan's Inpex and the Netherlands' Shell '€” that proposed an offshore development. Inpex currently holds a 65 percent share in Masela and Shell a 35 percent share. (bbn)(+)

Popular

Tension grows between North Sumatra, Aceh over disputed border

Planned MRT extension to South Tangerang to cost $1.25b

Prabowo skips G7 summit to meet Putin in Russia