Ramli served as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs under President Joko Widodo's Working Cabinet.

Ramli's name was also put forward as the Secretary-General of the Economic & Social Commission of Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), but in order to focus on serving Indonesia he refused the nomination.

[2] After a while out of the circle of power, in August 2015, Ramli was requested by President Joko Widodo to serve the country in charge of planning, coordinating as well as synchronizing policies in maritime affairs.

Rizal frequently threw scathing criticism (which he termed as kepret) towards something he deemed not in line with national interests, the source of the nickname "Rajawali Ngepret".

He was forced to move in with his grandmother Kasina Rachman in Bogor, West Java when he was seven, due to the death of his parents.

[8] Ramli continued his education, finishing his Master of Arts in Asian Studies at Sophia University, Japan.

[9] On his return from the United States, after he finished his doctorate, he founded the ECONIT Advisory Group, an independent economic think-tank, with a few other economists such as Laksamana Sukardi, Arif Arryman, and M. S. Zulkarnaen.

[10] Ramli, through the ECONIT Advisory Group, published a report titled "1997: The Year of Uncertainty" which predicted the Asian financial crisis.

He based his forecast on three points: private sector debt, current account deficit, and the overvalued Rupiah.

[12][13] He later remarried to Maryani, also known as Xiaw Fung, until her death at Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta, on 1 March 2011 due to cancer at the age of 47.

[15] Ramli was appointed head of the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics (Bulog) by President Abdurrahman Wahid in March 2000.

Ramli was appointed Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Finance, and Industry on 23 August 2000, replacing Kwik Kian Gie.

[22] Not even six months in office, he resigned from the position of President Commissioner of BNI after being officially appointed Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs in August 2015.

As a result of the Working Cabinet's reshuffle, Ramli was appointed Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs on 12 August 2015.

Not long after being appointed Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ramli issued a statement that invited public controversy.

[26] Many parties criticized him and said that the comments and critique Ramli issued were unethical and only serve to create a rift inside the cabinet that is trying hard to overcome the economic woes of the time.

[27] Ramli died at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta, on 2 January 2024, due to pancreatic cancer at the age of 69.