Our new Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, was receiving harsh criticism even before she got a chance to even start her new job. But she hasn’t let the critics kill her enthusiasm for a job she says she took on for the good of the nation.
Susi is certainly not doing it for the money. Her new governmental salary is a tiny pittance compared to what she was making previously as the CEO of the airline she built from the ground up, Susi Air.
“My new salary is just one per cent of my salary at Susi Air. Insya Allah, I am sincere,” said Susi at a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Thursday, as quoted by Tempo.
Susi admitted that she was quite surprised when she was picked by President Joko Widodo. According to her, the president said the government needed crazy people. “We need crazy people to make a breakthrough,” she said, repeating the words of Jokowi.
Susi is famous for having built up several successful businesses, including her eponymous airline, despite having dropped out of school in junior high. She has been in the spotlight since being picked for the new cabinet, with some netizens harassing her for her lack of education, smoking and tattoos, while others have praised her impressive accomplishments and work ethic, some using the tag #StandupforSusi when speaking in her defense.
Source: Tempo
