Former banker named Telkom chief: Nasution

CIPANAS, West Java (JP): President of state-owned telecommunications monopoly PT Telkom, A.A. Nasution, said on Wednesday the government had made a decision to appoint former director of Bank Bukopin, M. Nazif, as his replacement.

He said his company had also been notified by the government through a letter issued by the State Ministry of Empowerment of State Enterprises that the company's current four directors would also be replaced.

Assistant to State Minister for the Investment and State Enterprises Development, Benny Pasaribu, said last week that the government was selecting 10 candidates, from which Telkom's new president would be picked.

Benny said that the selection process would take time because the 10 candidates must first be thoroughly evaluated under the fit and proper test before being proposed to Telkom's general shareholders meeting scheduled for April 7.

The candidates include an executive of Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), Dimyati Hartono, and president of listed satellite communications provider PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, Adi R. Adiwoso.

Nasution said that the letter announcing Telkom's new president and directors, expected to be installed during the shareholders meeting, arrived at his office on Tuesday.

"According to the letter, the government has appointed M. Nazif as my replacement," Nasution said on the sidelines of a press gathering in Cipanas, West Java.

The letter, which was signed by Coordinating Minister for Economy Kwik Kian Gie on the behalf of State Minister of Investment and State Enterprises Development Laksamana Sukardi, who is now performing a haj pilgrimage in Mecca.

Nasution, who led Telkom since mid-1996, refused to reveal the name of the new directors, but said that he was very pleased to know that the four new executives were actually Telkom's own officials.

According to newspaper reports, several Telkom insiders have been nominated to sit on the board of directors. They include the chief of Telkom's Jakarta office Guntur Siregar, chief of Telkom's East Java's office Kristiono, president of Telkom's affiliate satellite communications provider PT Lintasarta, Taufik Akbar, head of Telkom's logistics division, Mursyid Amal and Telkom's head of development division Komaruddin.

Telkom is currently led by Nasution as president and Harry Supangkat as director for finance, Andi Siswaka Faisal as director for planning and technology, John Welly director of operation and marketing and Dadad Kustiwa as chief operation officer.(25/cst)