The political drama pitting State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan against lawmakers ended in an anticlimax after he met with the House of Representative’s Ethics Council to submit the names of House members who had allegedly attempted to extort funds from state-owned enterprise executives.

Dahlan reported only two names after he had previously promised to come up with names of about 10 such politicians. In a press conference after the meeting, the minister said he would provide more names pending the collection of supporting documents.

But it seems Dahlan’s fighting spirit has weakened and he has become more realistic after understanding the nature of politics, the political structure, who controls power and whose interests are threatened by his move to fight the politicians. He will likely face a backlash that could ultimately undermine his career and credibil...