KAI directors step down over Brebes train crash
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The board of directors of state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) resigned en masse on Friday, but the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation (YLKI) slammed the move as an attempt to evade responsibility for numerous train accidents over the past few months.
YLKI also plans to launch a class action against PT KAI aimed at securing compensation for potential losses suffered by the families of those injured or killed in recent accidents.
"All of us have decided to resign as we accept moral responsibility for the recent events," KAI President Director Badar Zaini said after a meeting with Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar and State Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi in Jakarta.
An economy-class train Empu Jaya from Jakarta collided head-on with the Jakarta-bound Gaya Baru Malam, which was stopped on the same track at Ketanggungan station in Brebes, Central Java, killing at least 30 passengers and injuring dozens of others on Tuesday.
The driver of Empu Jaya, Muhammad To'at, who is being treated at a hospital in Brebes, has been declared a suspect.
Asked to comment on the resignation of KAI's board of directors, Laksamana replied: "I am personally touched by their willingness to open a new door to a better environment. I deeply appreciate that."
Laksamana said the company would be audited by independent auditors in relation to operational, financial and safety issues.
Such an audit would be the first conducted by outsiders since KAI's establishment, as previous audits have been undertaken by the company's internal auditor and the results have not been made public.
Laksamana also said a team would be set up to conduct a series of tests, including a fit-and-proper assessment, for all prospective employees.
Separately, Vice President Hamzah Haz hailed the resignations, saying they could serve as a new paradigm and example for those who failed to live up to expectations.
"Although their resignations do not necessarily prove that they are guilty, it should serve as a new model of accountability that other state companies should follow," he said without elaborating.
YLKI, however, suspected the resignations were merely an attempt to elude accountability over the numerous recent accidents.
"The resignations were engineered. If they were a form of public accountability why didn't they resign straight away after the crash?," YLKI chairwoman Indah Suksmaningsih asked.
YLKI is also planning to file a class action lawsuit against PT KAI to demand the inclusion of compensation for the potential losses suffered by the injured and the families of those killed in recent accidents.
"Neither the resignations nor the payment of compensation alters the PT KAI directors' legal accountability in relation to consumer services and protection," YLKI Executive for Legal Affairs Sudarjatmo said, as quoted by Antara.
He suspected that sabotage was involved in Tuesday's accident, given To'at's statement that he had reduced speed and applied the brakes to prevent a collision. To'at is currently being treated in intensive care in a Brebes hospital.
"It's funny that he was named a suspect because he has not yet been questioned by the police," Sumaryoto said, adding that To'at would be moved to Pertamina Hospital on Saturday so that he could receive better treatment.
Sumaryoto said Agum and State Minister for State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi were responsible for improving PT KAI's management.
YLKI said that the compensation set by PT KAI and insurance firm PT Jasa Raharja, which comprises Rp 16 million (about US$1,500) in compensation for each victim's family and three-year scholarships for two of the victims' relatives, was not adequate.