Offices were still largely shut and a lazy end-of-holiday atmosphere hung over Jakarta early on Tuesday last week. Most of the office workers were still not back from their Christmas, Lebaran and New Year breaks. But minister of administrative reform Ryaas Rasyid was out early that morning, scurrying to the presidential palace with a file in his hands. It contained a long letter spelling out in detail his request to resign from the cabinet.

Acco