TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir have been urged to intervene in resolving the polemics surrounding the recruitment of 14 former Lion Air employees at Garuda Indonesia.

The recruitment process, deemed not in accordance with the rules, has caused unrest among the employees of the national carrier. "We seek the attention of President Prabowo and a solution from State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir," said General Chair of the Garuda Indonesia Pilot Association Captain Ruli Wijaya in a written statement on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Ruli stated that the policy of the Board of Directors of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, which brought a group of former Lion Air employees and placed them within Garuda's management structure, has the potential to disrupt the painstakingly built Good Corporate Governance (GCG) principles in Garuda Indonesia. "We are deeply concerned about this situation," said Ruli.

He stated that the recruitment and placement of these 14 individuals were done non-transparently. He added that this recruitment had the potential to violate internal regulations and GCG principles.

"This policy has caused unrest among all Garuda Indonesia employees who are currently maintaining productivity and ensuring the company's sustainability, as there is a discrepancy between the 14 individuals and internal employees, as it does not conform to the company's career ladder regulations.

According to him, Garuda Indonesia already has competent Directors, quality internal human resources, integrity, and loyalty, and has also collaborated with professional recruitment consultants.

Furthermore, Ruli stated that this policy has the potential to create conflicts of interest, especially if conducted non-transparently, without a clear business justification, and without considering its impact on overall business sustainability, internal human resources, and the company's culture.

"In fact, this process is more political in nature, not based on needs, and neglects the ethical and integrity aspects of the company," said Ruli.

According to Ruli, employees of Garuda Indonesia have indicated that some of the 14 former Lion Air employees will be given strategic positions, even up to the Director level within the Garuda Indonesia Group.

Since the controversy surrounding the recruitment of former Lion Air employees at Garuda Indonesia emerged, public and investor confidence in Garuda Indonesia has continued to decline. "The shares of PT Garuda Indonesia plunged to a record low of Rp33 per share on March 18, 2025.

According to Ruli, all employees of Garuda Indonesia under the Joint Union (Sekber) of PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, consisting of the Garuda Pilot Association (APG), Garuda Indonesia Employees' Union (SEKARGA), and the Garuda Indonesia Cabin Crew Association (IKAGI), have taken several steps regarding this situation.

On March 5, 2025, said Ruli, the employees of Garuda Indonesia sent a letter to Garuda Indonesia's President Director Wamildan Tsani Panjaitan regarding the controversy over the recruitment and placement of former employees of the Lion Air Group, and demanded that these 14 individuals be suspended. "However, there has been no official response from Wamildan so far," said Ruli.

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