Jakarta. Silmy Karim, the chief executive officer of state-run steel company Krakatau Steel, confirmed on Monday that he has been appointed to become the director general of immigration effective next month.

“I will be installed as the director general in early January,” Silmy said in Jakarta.

His successor in Krakatau Steel will be determined in an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting scheduled on January 18.

Silmy, 48, has been in charge of Krakatau Steel since September 2018 after leaving another CEO job at other state-own companies including heavy machinery industry Barata and arms industry Pindad.

He has been credited for restructuring more than $2 billion of Krakatau Steel’s debts from 10 creditors. However, his CV is dominated by various jobs dealing with national defense and intelligence.

Before becoming CEO in state-owned companies, he received special assignments from the state, such as joining a government-sanctioned team tasked with getting rid of businesses run by the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) in 2008 after the issuance of a law that bans the military from getting revenues from any sources other than the state budget.

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His involvement in the team opened door to a new career at the Defense Ministry as an advisor, which he served until 2014.

During his spell with the ministry, he took part in the drafting of the law on the defense industry.

He was also hired by the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) as a member of the Board of Strategic Analysts.

The native of Tegal, Central Java, was appointed commissioner at state-run shipbuilding company PAL that he served from 2011-14 to supervise a Navy warship project.

According to his latest public filing in March, Silmy has around Rp 217 billion worth of personal wealth of mostly lands and buildings in Jakarta and Tangerang, but he also has Rp 9 billion in personal debts.

The top post for the immigration office is open to professionals, not just career bureaucrats. Other participants in the selection process include businessman Dorry Sonata, lecturer Ely John Sonata and other prominent figures from the private sector.