Danantara Responds To The DPR's Attitude On The Garuda-Pelita Merger: Not A Rejection, But A Warning

Danantara Indonesia Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dony Oskaria. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Danantara Indonesia's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dony Oskaria responded to the views of Commission VI of the DPR RI regarding the planned merger of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk with PT Pelita Air Service (PAS).

According to Dony, what the legislators said was not a form of rejection, but a warning so that the merger process would not harm either party.

"I don't think it's a rejection. But we appreciate it, of course, they must love our airlines. The gentlemen in Commission VI actually provide input. They don't want it to make Pelita bad. Yes, this is a warning for us, right," Dony said when met at Graha Mandiri Jakarta, Monday, September 29.

According to Dony, the input will be used as an important note by Danantara.

The merger process must be ensured to make Pelita Air grow.

"So, don't always look at rejection, no, but keep in mind, don't remember that this merger will bring the Pelita too bad. Actually that's what was conveyed by friends from Commission VI," he said.

"This is a record for us so that in this process it will not then make Pelita worse. But we hope that it will be better," he continued.

Previously, a member of Commission VI of the DPR from the PDI-Perjuangan faction, Mufti Anam, admitted that he strongly disagreed with the planned merger or merger of PT Pelita Air Service with PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

Mufti Anam conveyed his disapproval at the Hearing Meeting between Commission VI of the DPR and Garuda Indonesia, InJourney Airports, and IAS, Monday, September 22.

Based on his personal experience, Mufti assessed that Pelita Air's services were very good. Starting from the timeliness, cleanliness and food provided on the plane.

"About Pelita Air who wants to be combined with Garuda, I really don't agree with that. We are honest when we are pressed, when I no longer believe in Garuda, yesterday I took Pelita Air, yes, on time, it turned out, and also good, clean, service okay, food okay," he said.

Therefore, Mufti requested that the plan to merge Pelita and Garuda Indonesia be stopped. This is because he does not want Pelita to contract Garuda Indonesia's work culture.

"I don't want Garuda to hijack Pelita Air, which is already a good airline for our pride, then eventually it was damaged because of the work culture virus at Garuda Indonesia which has collapsed," he said.

Mufti bilang, Pelita Air saat ini juga sudah tidak membebani kinerja keuangan perusahaan induknya.

Adapun Pelita Air merupakan anak usaha PT Pertamina (Persero).

“Karena sampai hari ini saya senang ketika setelah saya naik dan saya baca-baca portofolio keuangan ternyata sudah tidak membebani keuangan Pertamina lagi,” ucapnya.

“Nah maka kami tidak mau untuk bagaimana Pelita Air yang waktu itu dibentuk, dibuat diperbaiki untuk nagaimana menjadi alternatif maskapai kita kemudian jadi tidak baik karena adanya Garuda,” sambungnya.

Mufti said that Pelita Air is currently no longer a burden on the financial performance of its parent company.

Pelita Air is a subsidiary of PT Pertamina (Persero).

"Because until today I was happy when after I went up and I read the financial portfolio, it turned out that it was no longer a burden on Pertamina's finances," he said.

"Well, then we don't want to see how Pelita Air, which was formed at that time, was repaired to become an alternative for our airline, then it became not good because of Garuda," he continued.