TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Elia Massa Manik, state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara III president director, has been named as state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina (Persero) president director, beating other candidates at a meeting led by President Joko Widodo alias Jokowi on Tuesday, March 14. State officials said that Massa Manik got the backing of State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Minister Rini Soemarno.
A source in the government said that two names were being bandied about to take the oil company’s top executive office: Elia Massa Manik and state-owned steel company PT Krakatau Steel Tbk president director Sukandar. “Sukandar was backed by Energy Minister Ignasius Jonan,” said the official yesterday.
The official said that the President had chosen Massa due to his past experience in leading several companies, including SOEs. “In addition, age was a key factor. Massa is 53, whereas Sukandar is almost 60,” said the source.
Presidential spokesman Johan Budi S.P. said that Jokowi had picked one from two candidates. “I don’t know who the President’s choice was,” he said. Johan said that the new president director will be named at the general meeting of shareholders today.
Minister Rini has declined to comment. “Wait until the AGM.” Minister Jonan could not be reached for comment. Jonan’s special staffer Hadi M. Djuraid did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the newly elected Pertamina president director has strong leadership skills and is experienced. Kalla neither denied nor confirmed whether Massa had been appointed the oil and gas company president director. “The person has a vast experience and once led Elnusa,” he told Tempo yesterday.
Another source revealed that the competition to win Pertamina president director post did not only involved Rini and Jonan. “There was also Deputy Energy Minister Arcandra Tahar,” the source said. The source said that Arcandra met Jokowi at Bogor Palace at 10 pm on Monday. “Arcandra recommended Pertamina director for upstream industry Syamsu Alam.”
Arcandra could not be reached for comment. Syamsu Alam said: “On president director post, I’ll leave it to the shareholders.” Meanwhile, Massa yesterday met Rini at the SOE Ministry building. SOE Ministry special staffer Budi Gunadi Sadikin confirmed Massa’s visit. “He went to the minister’s room,” he said.
Pertamina has an asset totaling roughly Rp600 trillion and generated Rp40 trillion in profits in 2016. After the reform era, Pertamina management shake-up has often caused uproar owing to its oil and gas businesses.
ALI NY | ROBBY I | ADITYA B| KHAIRUL A
