Is Rizal Ramli the straight shooter - or loose cannon - of Indonesia's cabinet?

As Indonesian President Joko Widodo was preparing on Wednesday to present a grand package of measures aimed at restoring investors' faith in the competence of his government, one of his ministers stepped in and spoiled it all.

Rizal Ramli, who conceded this week that perhaps he is too outspoken, suddenly announced in parliament that fuel pipeline and storage projects worth US$7.4 billion had been dropped because they were no longer a priority. Within hours, the cabinet secretary had contradicted him, reinforcing an impression that Widodo's ministers are out of tune with each other and unable to sound united on policy.

Ramli, 60, is no faint heart: as a student, he was jailed for leading a rally against authoritarian leader Suharto.

"Wherever I go I change the system. I'm a transformer," he said in an interview on Sunday at his house in South Jakarta, where a large bust of Albert Einstein sits at the entrance.

"But there are so many people who don't like me because I'm too candid. I say what is on my mind," he said.

Widodo brought Ramli in as one of six new cabinet ministers last month, hoping to streamline a muddled policymaking process after disappointing many who saw his election last year as a chance to break from a succession of feckless governments.

But Ramli has only caused more confusion since he took the portfolios of maritime affairs and resources. First, he drew a rare rebuke from Widodo, who told him to voice his concerns privately after he had openly criticised Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.