Luhut Panjaitan was a very powerful member of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s so-called Working Cabinet. His expanded powers as the President’s Chief of Staff generated tension with the office of the Vice President. The public saw him as the shadow prime minister, but that didn’t last for long. In the last reshuffle of cabinet positions, Luhut was made Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security. Sure, Luhut has since maintained a tight grip of security and political stability, but he no longer has the access he had as Chief of Staff. And then the Setya Novanto scandal broke. The Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) allegedly attempted to lobby Freeport in relation to the company’s contract extension, in the process of which Luhut’s name was mentioned. Will this end badly for Luhut? Will it lessen Luhut’s influence in the inner circle of President Jokowi?To subscribe please click here
