PDI-P shocked by foreign national appointed as CEO of export-focused state-owned enterprise: This concerns the country’s foreign exchange

Jakarta, KOMPAS.com - Mufti Anam, a member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PDI-P faction, said he was surprised to learn that a foreign national named Luke Thomas Mahony had been appointed as the President Director of PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI), the export-focused state-owned enterprise. He said this would place a highly strategic role in the governance of Indonesia’s natural resource exports. ‘We were genuinely quite surprised to hear that PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI). Because this concerns the management of the nation’s natural resource exports, foreign exchange earnings, commodity prices, the future of the national industry, and even the confidence of the business community in the direction of Indonesia’s economy going forward,’ Mufti told reporters on Friday (22 May 2026). Moreover, he said, President Prabowo Subianto has already expressed concerns about under-invoicing practices in natural resource exports, which have been suspected of causing the country to lose substantial potential revenue. Mufti argued that the government views leakage issues as too serious. ‘The state apparently does not want to repeat past failures, when governance of strategic commodity exports leaked, was manipulated by mafias, or was managed by parties lacking integrity and professionalism,’ he said. ‘We have had bitter experiences in the past. The government was too trusting of the system and certain people, but what happened was leakage, rent-seeking, and large-scale losses to the state,’ he added. He explained that if the aim is to improve national export governance, eradicate under-invoicing, increase foreign exchange earnings, and ensure that the proceeds from natural resources truly return to the people, then this is not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with the foreign individual. He emphasised that what matters most is the outcome and alignment with national interests. ‘But let us not allow this to set a precedent that the country’s most strategic sectors are continually dependent on foreigners. For as capable as any foreign professional may be, the person who most understands the long-term interests of this nation should be its own people,’ he added. Meanwhile, Mufti urged the government to provide a clear deadline and not leave the matter hanging without certainty. ‘If this is part of a transitional period to reform the system, build new governance, and root out bad practices, we can understand. But once the system is functioning healthily—six months, a year, or when the governance foundations are strong—then the position should be held again by a domestically trained professional who is clean and of integrity,’ Mufti said.