Riska Rahman, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir has denied accusations that he is giving out positions based on politics to supervise state-owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.Garuda appointed on Wednesday former Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) head Triawan Munaf as its new president commissioner. The publicly listed airline also appointed pluralism activist and daughter of former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, Yenny Wahid, as its new independent commissioner.
Other than her activism, Yenny is also known to have close ties to the political world as she is a former member of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Yenny's appointment has created suspicion among the public that Erick was giving out positions to political figures in the company. However, Erick denied the accusation, saying that the appointments were meant to improve the airline's treatment of female employees.
"Bu Yenny is a great woman figure. Hopefully, she can help protect [Garuda's] female employees and act as a figure to talk to," he told the press in Jakarta.
He said Yenny's appointment was purely objective and that it was not caused by cases of flight attendant mistreatment.
Garuda's flight attendants had come forward to the public over alleged mistreatment they received from its management following a ruckus on Twitter.
Given her close ties to the political world and Islamic mass organization Nahdlatul Ulama, Erick also reiterated that Yenny's appointment was nothing political.
"Her position is as independent commissioner. She is not representing anyone in Garuda, she is representing the public," he said.
Meanwhile, Erick also hoped that the appointment of Triawan as president commissioner could help to boost innovation in Garuda and promote partnership with the private sector.