Minister dismisses special staff

JAKARTA: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agiel Munawar has dismissed five members of his special staff in a bid to boost efficiency.

The ministry's secretary-general, Faisal Ismail, said the dismissal of Abdullah Sany, Iskandar A. Turusi, Ari Amir Yusuf, Rudi Hamid and Ferry Fachri from the organizational structure of the ministry was made official on Tuesday last week.

The five first echelon officials were appointed as soon as Said Agiel took office in July last year. Their unclear job descriptions and responsibilities were left unsettled until one of them, claiming to represent the minister, signed a memorandum of understanding on accommodation for 100,000 haj pilgrims for next year.

Faisal said the division of labor among the staff overlapped one another, while their jobs used to be conducted by officials in the bureaucracy.

"Their presence was no longer need," he said. --Antara