Jakarta. Yusuf Rendy Manilet, an economist at the Center of Reform on Economics (Core), has expressed concern that the current dual leadership of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), held by Arsjad Rasjid and Anindya Bakrie, could confuse potential investors.

"Examining the Kadin case from a broader perspective, dual leadership within an organization can confuse both the public and prospective investors considering Indonesia," Yusuf told Beritasatu.com on Tuesday.

He explained that dual leadership in a major organization can create chaos, particularly for Kadin, which is crucial for maintaining the business and investment ecosystem in the country. "Dual leadership is detrimental in any context, especially in large organizations," he added.

Kadin’s Dual Leadership Crisis Reaches President Jokowi

Yusuf warned that having both Arsjad Rasjid and Anindya Bakrie as chairmen could disrupt Indonesia's investment ecosystem and legal certainty. "This is particularly problematic for legal certainty and investment," he noted.

Recently, during Arsjad Rasjid’s tenure, a faction of Kadin held an Extraordinary National Conference 2024, appointing Anindya Bakrie as the new chairman at Hotel St Regis in South Jakarta.

In response, Arsjad Rasjid, who still claims the chairmanship, challenged the appointment, arguing that it was invalid due to opposition from 21 out of 35 provincial Kadin chairpersons and violations of the organization's statutes.

This current leadership dispute echoes a similar split from 2015 to 2020, when Rosan P. Roeslani and Eddy Ganefo were at the helm.

Dhaniswara K Harjono, Vice Chairman of Legal and Human Rights at Kadin Indonesia, confirmed that Kadin has previously experienced such divisions. "Back then, differing opinions between the chairman and advisory board chairman led to two factions within Kadin," he said.

He noted that the division was resolved under Arsjad Rasjid’s leadership, who succeeded in uniting members. "While there were challenges then, they differ from today’s issues," he added.

Dhaniswara, who was Chairman of the Kadin Jakarta Advisory Board during the earlier split, acknowledged the difficulties but emphasized the importance of resolving current issues amicably to avoid repeating past problems.