Asian Angle | Can Jokowi’s new trade minister Zulkifli Hasan fix Indonesia’s cooking oil crisis?
- Trade minister Zulkifli Hasan wields clout over palm oil firms to resolve cooking oil crisis but has little international trade policy experience
- He is unlikely to introduce new, far-reaching policies in his short tenure that leads up to Indonesia’s 2024 presidential election
They are the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan, the secretary general of Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Raja Juli Antoni, the secretary general of Crescent Star Party (PBB) Afriansyah Noor, and Jokowi’s former commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Hadi Tjahjanto.
Of the above, it is the appointment of Hasan as trade minister that has sparked controversy.
Hasan is a seasoned politician who has built his political career under the auspices of the Islam-based PAN. He has served in important positions in the party, but some have attributed his rise to the marriage of his daughter to a son of Amien Rais, the influential former chairman of PAN.
Domestically, Hasan represents Jokowi’s answer to resolving the soaring price of cooking oil amid supply chain disruptions that have occurred since January. His predecessor, former trade minister Muhammad Lutfi, was panned for his failure to get a grip of commodity prices despite being able to boost Indonesia’s export volumes for the past 18 months.
Regardless how one explains his rise, what should we expect during his term as trade minister?
Controversial forestry minister
Hasan’s appointment as a trade minister has been met with criticism by the public because of his track record as the Minister of Environment and Forestry in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s second administration from 2009-2014.