President Jokowi Summons Energy and Mineral Resources Minister

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sudirman Said, was summoned by President Joko Widodo on Friday, November 20, to the State Palace. Hurried and hushed, the Minister looked rushed and keen to avoid press scrutiny upon his arrival to the Palace.

Said rebuked claims that he was summoned to report his recent filing of a report to the House of Representatives (DPR) Ethics Council, relating to DPR Chairman Setya Novanto's suspected meddling and lobbying to extend PT Freeport Indonesia's working contract.

"I came to report on the Energy Minister's meeting in Paris with the International Energy Agency, which recently affirmed us as a member," said Said at the Palace on Friday. "I am here to report on the progress that was made in the discussion, as well as the preparations that is currently underway until the end of the month."

Said refused to comment on the fiasco with Novanto and insisted that all he came to do was to discuss the Paris agenda.

Previously, Said reported DPR Chairman Setya Novanto to DPR's Ethics Council over suspicions that Novanto had unlawfully cited the names President Joko Widodo, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, and the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, as a part of his lobbying on behalf of PT Freeport Indonesia.

Panjaitan has since said that Said should have asked the President first before he filed the report, as it would have given more weight to his report if he had coordinated and asked the permission of President Joko Widodo before filing the report.

REZA ADITYA