Arcandra Tahar appointed to replace Sudirman

President Joko Widodo has officially announced the appointment of Arcandra Tahar, a petroleum engineering expert, as new Energy and Mineral Resources Minister to replace Sudirman Said.

Arandra is among 12 names mentioned by the President while announcing the reshuffle of his Cabinet members at the State Palace on Wednesday.

The President also announced the appointment of Gen (ret) Luhut B Panjaitan, formerly Coordinating Minster of Politics, Law and Security, as new Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs, replacing Rizal Ramli. In the new position, Luhut will supervise several ministries, including the ministry of energy and mineral resources.

Aside from being a former respectable military member, Luhut was also known as a successful entrepreneur before joining the Jokowi?s administration. His business includes mining and oil.

Arcanda is a graduate of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) who obtained a scholarship from tin giant PT Timah Tbk to study offshore rigs in Texas. According to Linkedln, Dr. Tahar is president at Petroneering in Houston, a technology development and engineering company focused on design and development of more durable, effective, and safe offshore platforms. He has over fourteen years of experience in the field of hydrodynamics and offshore engineering.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon