REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Rizal Ramli as new Coordinating Minister for maritime promised to remain critical even though he has now been included in the government.

"Didn’t you know me?" said Rizal, when he was asked whether he will remain critical as he was in outside the government, shortly after the inauguration at the State Palace in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/8).

Rizal replaced Indroyono Susilo which was on a working visit to Timika, Papua until this Wednesday. Rizal was first hesitant to accept the offered to become one of ministries in the cabinet.

“I actually was hesitant to join but I was touched by the way the President Jokowi asked me to join. He said it wasn’t him who asked, but the Indonesian people. It was because we are in difficult conditions,” he explained.

He believes that Indonesia has a great potential of maritime. His focus should be to improve infrastructure and investment, especially outside Java.

"We should improve the energy and transportation sectors, so many things that can be done to improve efficiency," he added.

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