Observer: It's Strange If Ahok Doesn't Know The Salary Of Pertamina's Directors

Former Governor of DKI Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok). (Photo: Instagram @basukibtp)

JAKARTA - Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok openly exposed the shame of PT Pertamina (Pertamina). Ahok's action drew public attention. Ahok said that the directors of this state-owned company have a hobby of lobbying ministers so that they have large salaries even though they have been fired and the directors prefer debt.

Responding to this, Chairman of Commission VI Faisol Riza said lobbying for directors in state-owned companies was normal. However, he said, whether a candidate was elected or not had to go through a selection with various criteria that had to be met.

"I think if the election of the board of directors has a political background, there is lobbying, it's normal. But I think the most important thing is that the candidate concerned must meet the criteria, which have been determined both professionally and with integrity and background," he said, when contacted. VOI, Thursday, September 17.

According to Faisol, as long as the required criteria and conditions are met, there is no problem. He said, things like this are also commonly done by state-owned companies in various countries.

"I think it's normal and there is nothing strange. Around the world it is the case with state-owned enterprises or state-owned companies. So don't be too surprised if it's about that," he said.

In the same opinion, a member of Commission VI from the Gerindra Faction, Supratman Andi Agtas, said that the selection of directors in the class of strategic companies such as Pertamina is impossible randomly. Moreover, it must be reported directly to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Furthermore, Supratman explained, the replacement of Pertamina's board of directors must also be approved by the president. Even lobbying would be useless if it was not approved by the president.

"For Pertamina, as far as I remember, it must be approved by the president. That cannot be arbitrary. How could this kind of Pertamina board of directors be chosen by random people and not known by the president. It is impossible," he said.

Supratman said that what Ahok noted was actually choosing the same spirit as what BUMN Minister Erick Thohir was doing, namely how state-owned companies can be efficient and have better productivity.

"Commission VI in the priority law is currently deliberating on the BUMN Law, maybe in its development we will see where our legal politics is going in terms of the regulation of the Ministry of BUMN. It could be that in its discussion, the proposed proposal (Ahok) will definitely be discussed," he said.

Ahok's Comments A Slap for the Government

Institute for Development on Economics and Finance (Indef) economist Abra Talattov assessed that Ahok's statement that Pertamina's directors had a hobby of lobbying the government was a hard slap or slap the government itself.

"This means that this indicates that there are ministers who are prone to lobbying and also like to be lobbied. If what Pak Ahok said is real and valid, it is actually a criticism not only of the board of directors but also the minister," Abra said.

According to Abra, in this context the minister or the government is actually part of the interests that Ahok must protect, because Ahok is a representative of the government.

Furthermore, Abra said, as a commissioner, Ahok had the right to supervise and report if it was proven that there were directors who liked to lobby. This report, he said, could be submitted before a general meeting of shareholders (RUPS) was held.

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"And (after that) it is recommended whether it should be defended or removed. So I think the commissioner is actually an extension of the government 's hands, eyes, ears. So it shouldn't be spelled out outside, but inside the government," he said.

Abra said he was worried that Ahok's repeated criticisms as commissioner would cause uproar to the public, but also create new slander in the ministry and government.

"In fact, this creates political instability because there is a sense of suspicion, because it turns out that there are ministers who can be lobbied by the directors of BUMN. Then it will also damage the reputation of BUMN. The impact is not only on Pertamina, but has a negative impact on open BUMNs, which have already listing on the capital market. Can you see whether that is true? Fear of being hit flat, it will create distrust for investors towards BUMN, "he explained.

Then, in terms of the high salaries of Pertamina officials, said Abra, he felt it was quite strange if Ahok did not know about it. The board of commissioners works assisted by several remuneration committees to approve the amount of salaries or allowances for commissioners and directors.

"So it is rather funny if the commissioner does not know and feels that there is an official whose salary is still the same. If that happens, the function of the commissioner does not work. He should have the authority to regulate and rationalize internally," he said.

If it is true that there are Pertamina directors who still receive large salary facilities even though they have been removed from their positions, according to Abra Ahok, they have conceded in carrying out their duties as commissioners.

"He conceded. Either in the sense that he was unable to control remuneration within the company or he did not know. But it is impossible not to know. As a commissioner, assisted by the remuneration committee, he should know, right that the commissioner agreed. So many things are quite anomalous statements. That seems absurd. Because everything must go through the commissioner's door and be approved by the commissioner, "he explained.

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