On Wed., Indonesia's Pres. Joko Widodo fired his trade minister, Muhammad Lutfi, amid controversy over a series of palm oil export policies.
Lutfi came under fire due to his inability to curb the rising prices of palm oil. His policies included a three-week ban on exports of the product, which sent shockwaves through global markets and led to multiple arrests for alleged corruption before being lifted on May 23.
Pres. Widodo's replacement of his trade minister is the right move and will improve the performance of the ministry. On top of that, this move has received immense public support with a recent poll showing nearly two-thirds of people support Widodo reshuffling his cabinet.
This move was merely done to please the political elite in Indonesia. President Widodo should rethink this decision if he wants to leave a good legacy. It's unlikely that Hasan will solve a complex problem that a highly qualified person like Lutfi couldn't.