“As a soldier I have no objection following any orders assigned,” was the reply Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan conveyed to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when the latter told him of his new, less prestigious posting as coordinating maritime minister late on Tuesday.

After leaving the State Palace without posing any questions to Jokowi about his new assignment, Luhut received a call from Vice President Jusuf Kalla who told him that he had no prior knowledge of Jokowi’s plan to have him rotated.

A source with knowledge of the affair said Kalla needed to make the phone call to clear things up, as he was concerned Luhut might have suspected him of organizing a plot to have his role reduced.

Although Luhut already had personal ties to the President, as he had been his business partner since early 2000, it was not until early this year that Luhut’s influence rapidly expanded.

Luhut, a senior Golkar Party politician, was the key person pushing for the passage of the Tax Amnesty Law and its implementation. He also lobbied for the highly decorated but junior officer, Gen. Tito Karnavian, to lead the National Police.

Luhut is credited as well with convincing the Golkar Party — the second biggest after Jokowi’s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) — to join the ruling coalition camp.

Luhut’s maneuvering had ensured stability in the House of Representatives, the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Economic issues are also included as Luhut’s cup of tea, as he often talks about the property business and problems in the government’s recent economic reform packages.

Luhut’s close relationship with Golkar chairman Setya Novanto, coupled with his extensive connections with leaders of other political parties, business conglomerates, the TNI and the police, have notably provided him with capital he could eventually use to dominate the Cabinet.

His growing influence has not only reduced Kalla’s clout, but also drawn the attention of Luhut’s political and business rivals, Gen. (ret.) Hendropriyono, the former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chairman.

Hendropriyono has close ties to both Kalla and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, who happened to have a bitter history with Luhut.

Attempts to have Luhut’s influence clipped were already apparent when Jokowi installed Hendropriyono’s son, Diaz, and former counterterrorism czar Comr. Gen. (ret.) Gories Mere as his special staff for intelligence affairs. Gories works for Hendropriyono’s consulting firm.

To the annoyance of Kalla, many politicians and journalists have labeled Luhut as “prime minister” or even “the real vice president”.

“Perhaps Jokowi and Kalla are worried that Luhut’s growing influence is no longer healthy for the Cabinet, although they may have acknowledged Luhut’s outstanding performance,” said Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti.

In response to his rotation, Luhut said he had no objections to the President’s decision. “The President has decided and I am taking a new role as maritime minister,” he said.

Luhut’s ministerial portfolio covers the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the Transportation Ministry, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and the Tourism Ministry.

Luhut will have the authority to oversee Jokowi’s signature project, the construction of new power plants to generate an additional 35,000 megawatts of electricity, the expansion of Indonesia’s marine infrastructure and the construction of Indonesia’s first high-speed railway.

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