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Staff, businesses welcome firing of Garuda boss
Problems surrounding Ari’s leadership seem to have ranged wider than the alleged smuggling.
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Employees of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry pass a line of flower boards placed in front of the ministry building in Jakarta on Friday. The boards are emblazoned with messages expressing gratitude and support for SOEs Minister Erick Thohir following the dismissal of Garuda Indonesia president director Ari Askhara over the alleged smuggling of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle aboard a newly delivered Garuda aircraft. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he dismissal of Ari Askhara from his job as president director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, only 15 months after being appointed, has been welcomed with an outpouring of delight from several quarters.
Flower boards from Garuda employees began arriving at the State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry office in Jakarta on Friday expressing support and appreciation for Erick Thohir, the minister who fired Ari on Thursday following the recent discovery of a smuggled Harley-Davidson motorcycle and other goods aboard a Garuda aircraft.
“Let’s clean up the SOEs. Bravo. We support you,” the message read on one of the flower boards from families of Garuda employees.
The Garuda Indonesia Cabin Crew Union (Ikagi) also voiced its gratitude for the decision.
"We kindly appreciate SOE Minister Erick Thohir's decision to sack Ari Askhara from his position, and we also support Pak Erick’s quick response to the Harley-Davidson smuggling case,” Ikagi chairman Zaenal Muttaqin said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.
“We ask the government, in this case, the SOEs minister, to investigate this case, including all members of the board of directors,” he added.
Read also: Cabin crew union ‘thankful’ for firing of Garuda boss
