The new transportation minister, Freddy Numberi, did not wait long before making some bold moves to get his portfolio into shape.
Just several days after his inauguration, Freddy harshly criticized the operator of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and removed the head of Kota Station in Jakarta, after inspecting the two transportation hubs.
"It's such a pity. We're not a poor country and we have many smart people, so why is it that Soekarno-Hatta's Terminal I is such a mess?" he told the press on Tuesday after conducting an impromptu inspection of the Tangerang airport.
"Next time, the toilets must be better and cleaner because otherwise they will give foreigners a bad first impression of the country. If the toilets are dirty, outsiders will think this nation is unclean," Freddy told Antara state news.
He said the "messy" management of the airport, namely the unclean toilets and scattered cigarette butts, could reflect the "personality of the nation".
Your comments:
I like your first move Minister Freddy. I feel the same way about the airport. My main concern is the immigration staff in the arrival area. It seems they don't take their job as seriously as they should.
A couple weeks back I was heading back to Jakarta from Bangkok, and the immigration officers were joking with each other and weren't paying any attention to their surroundings whatsoever, and I found this very irritating, so please do something about it.
Fauzi Hasibuan
Jakarta
Well done Minister Freddy Numberi, tackle all the problems one by one. Yes you can!
Sutan Sjarbaini
Amsterdam
Knock down the whole bloody lot and start again, including the airport. Freddy has now committed himself to the airport chaos. Will this be the noose around his neck, or will he deliver?
Yes, start with the toilets, then the bogus taxi drivers, sort out the parking facilities, install cameras everywhere - especially at the immigration counters, and lastly where are the helpful police?
Bill Taylor
London
I cannot agree more with Minister Freddy Numberi. The cleanliness and appearance on arrival at an airport (especially its lavatories) is the strongest impression you can give to visitors to your country. The second point is the fleet of taxis. Check any airport in Japan and you will see what I mean.
Happy Travels!
Carlos
Jakarta
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