Riska Rahman, Jakarta – The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry named on Monday prominent banker Zulkifli Zaini as the new president director of state electricity firm PLN, a position that had been left vacant for months.
Zulkifli replaces Sofyan Basir, the former PLN boss who resigned from the post in May after he was implicated in a graft case pertaining to the Riau-1 coal-fired power plant (PLTU) project.
The appointment came rather as a surprise for many as rumors previously swirled among the public that SOEs Minister Erick Thohir had picked former Information and Communication Minister Rudiantara to fill the vacant seat to permanently replace Sripeni Inten Cahyani, who was appointed acting president director in August.
Zulkifli is a familiar name among SOEs as he previously served as state-owned lender Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) independent commissioner from 2015 to 2016. Prior to serving at BNI, he was the president director of the country's biggest state-owned lender by assets, Bank Mandiri, from 2010 to 2013.
"We will be committed to maintaining a secure electricity supply, increasing the use of renewable energy and maintaining the financial health of the company," he told the press after a PLN general shareholders meeting in Jakarta on Monday.
Zulkifli will also be accompanied by former deputy at the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Darmawan Prasodjo as PLN's new vice president director, as well as former Indonesia Export Import Bank (Eximbank) executive director Sinthya Roesly.
The SOEs Ministry also named former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Amien Sunaryadi as the firm's new president commissioner.
Amien, who served in the antigraft body from 2003 to 2007, became the second former KPK member to be appointed as the president commissioner of an SOE, after the ministry named Chandra Hamzah – KPK deputy chairman from 2007 to 2011 – as state-owned lender Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN) president commissioner.
"Both Pak Amien and Pak Zulkifli have a good track record, are ready to work and have good ethics like other SOE president commissioners and president directors," Erick said in a statement obtained by The Jakarta Post.