TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned enterprises Minister Erick Thohir on Wednesday responded to the controversy following the appointment of musician Abdi Negara Nurdin - known by his stage name Abdee Slank - as an independent commissioner of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia or Telkom.

“Why can’t an Indonesian musician get upgraded?” Erick said in the press conference on June 2. “How if one day I appoint a senior film star with experience, why can’t that person become a part of the film industry ecosystem.”

He assured that the appointment of commissioners and directors in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are always imed at pushing future transformations and has gone through stringent scrutiny from members of the board and commissioners.

“Trust [us] that we can certainly do our best, don’t see it from the negative side,” Erick added.

Erick Thohir also highlighted his intention to prevent Telkom and Telkomsel from becoming a ‘sunset industry’. He wants both of the telecommunication firms to progress from sound and text business that are mainly free nowadays.

In terms of appointing Abdee Slan, the Minister believes the musician can contribute in building local contents in the digital industry, considering one of Telkom’s subsidiaries is internet service provider Indihome. He also hopes the company will be able to accommodate the work of street musicians and other musicians that lack the stage to perform their skills through digital platforms.

Read: Telkom, Telkomsel Respond to Police Summon in Alleged Corruption Case

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