PKPU Not Neutral? Creditors Who Have Been Paid Reject Proposal, Pilar Putra Mahakam Files Revocation

Court illustration (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Law firm Noviar Irianto & Partners (NIP) Law Firm regrets the results of the Creditor Meeting in the process of Postponing Debt Payment Obligations (PKPU) which was carried out by their client, PT Pilar Putra Mahakam.

In a meeting held Thursday, June 12, 2025 at the Central Jakarta Commercial Court, the peace proposal submitted by the debtor was rejected by two concurrent creditors, namely PT Meratus Advance Maritime and PT Mitra Lautan Bersama, although the two creditors had received debt repayment from their clients.

"This raises big questions regarding the good faith in the PKPU process. How is it possible for creditors who have been repaid, or who still have claims that are being disputed legally, their voices remain counted and even become the party that determines the rejection of the proposal," said Noviar Irianto of Noviar Irianto & Partners Law Firm, attorney of PT Pilar Putra Mahakam when contacted by the media at his office in South Jakarta, quoted Wednesday, June 18.

It is known that PT Mitra Lautan Bersama's Rp6.2 billion bill was paid off on April 15, 2025, while the PT Meratus Advance Maritime bill of Rp4.37 billion was also repaid a day later. The remaining claims from Meratus Advance Maritime amounting to Rp5.67 billion are still in the process of being sued at the Surabaya District Court and have not been decided.

However, according to Noviar, the votes of these two creditors are still counted in the voting process for the peace proposal. He considered this to be inconsistent with the basic principles of justice and violated the PKPU spirit itself.

"We suspect there is a conflict of interest because these two creditors are part of the Meratus Group. This means that they are affiliated companies or sister companies that may have business motives outside of ordinary legal relations," he added.

Noviar also emphasized that his party had sought various legal steps to the maximum to maintain the interests of their clients. Applications for the revocation of PKPU have even been submitted to court on May 28, 2025, long before the creditor meeting was held, as a form of objection to indications of an emergent neutrality.

"We are not standing still. We have taken all legal measures to ensure this process goes fairly and is not misused for certain purposes. Unfortunately, our concerns are proven: the votes of creditors that should be irrelevant are still being taken into account and even key to rejection, "explained Noviar.

Furthermore, he emphasized that his client still has very healthy financial conditions. Based on the financial statements as of December 31, 2024, the company's total assets reached IDR 113.9 billion, a much larger amount than the total claims in this process.

According to him, PKPU should be a rescue room for companies that still have the ability to pay, not actually use it to push debtors into bankruptcy.

The legal process must be carried out with integrity. Do not let PKPU turn into a pressure tool by parties who have a hidden agenda. We still believe the court will evaluate this case objectively," said Noviar.