Bob Hasan
Bob Hasan | |
---|---|
BJ Habibie | |
Preceded by | Tungki Aribowo |
Succeeded by | Rahardi Ramelan |
Personal details | |
Born | The Kian Seng 24 February 1931 Semarang, Dutch East Indies |
Died | 31 March 2020 Jakarta, Indonesia | (aged 89)
Cause of death | lung cancer |
Nationality | Indonesian |
Spouse | Pertiwi Hasan |
Children | 2 |
Occupation | Plywood tycoon |
Cabinet | Seventh Development Cabinet |
Mohamad "Bob" Hasan (24 February 1931 – 31 March 2020) was an Indonesian businessman, who served briefly as trade and industry minister in 1998 and was later jailed for corruption. He was one of the most prominent ethnic Chinese cronies of long-serving Indonesian president Suharto and was nicknamed "the plywood king" because of his forestry businesses. Hasan served as the chairman of the Indonesian Athletics Association from September 1984 until his death. He was the founder and editor of the Indonesian magazine Gatra.
Early life
Born The Kiang Seng in Semarang, Central Java, in February 1931 to a Chinese tobacco trader, Hasan became the adopted son of Gatot Soebroto, a general in the Indonesian Army, who commanded then-Colonel Suharto in the 1950s.[1][2]
Business career
After Suharto replaced Subroto as commander of the Army's Diponegoro Division, Hasan worked with Suharto to develop a wide range of side businesses, controlled by the military, that provided much of the funding for the Division as well as extra income for its officers.[3]
After Suharto
Hasan was also Chairman of the Indonesian Wood Panel Association (Apkindo). Under Hasan, Apkindo was given complete control of plywood pricing, marketing, and exports. Apkindo helped Indonesia gain about three-quarters of the worldwide plywood export market by the early 1990s, sometimes using techniques described by observers as "predatory pricing". Hasan personally profited from his chairmanship both by supporting business he owned and through control of the fees paid to the organization by other members.[3] His prominence in the plywood industry led to him being nicknamed "the plywood king".[6]
Hasan ran PT Nusantara Ampera Bakti (Nusamba) which is 80%-owned by foundations controlled by Suharto.[5][7]
Hasan became the mediator in business disputes between Suharto's six children, after the death of Suharto's wife in 1996.
Trade and industry minister
Suharto appointed Hasan Minister of Trade and Industry on 14 March 1998, making him the only Indonesian of Chinese descent to join one of Suharto's cabinets. His appointment was viewed as evidence that Suharto was not serious about making substantial fiscal changes to overcome the
Corruption convictions and imprisonment
Hasan was frequently the subject of corruption allegations because of his business dealings and control of much of Indonesian industry. After Suharto stepped down in 1998, a series of court judgements found evidence of crimes. Hasan was fined 50 billion
Hasan was a member of the
Death
On 31 March 2020, Hasan died at the age of 89 from lung cancer at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central Jakarta.[13]
References
- ISBN 978-1-84765-144-0.
- ISBN 978-1-4668-7926-3.
- ^ a b c Barr, Christopher M (1998). Bob Hasan, the rise of Apkindo, and the shifting dynamics of control in Indonesia's timber sector. Indonesia 65:1-36.
- ^ Saragosa, Manuel (1997). Indonesian tycoon plays influential role. Financial Times February 13. p 6.
- ^ a b c d "Indonesia's Uncle Bob (Mar 27, 1997)". The Economist. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-317-73405-5.
- ^ a b Borsuk, Richard (Feb 16, 1997). "Freeport Beats Out Canadians To Develop Busang Gold Mine". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ISBN 978-981-4459-57-0.
- ^ Porter, Barry (1998). Suharto cronies dominate new financial team. South China Morning Post March 15.
- ^ a b Cotton, James (1999). The "haze" over Southeast Asia: challenging the ASEAN mode of regional engagement. Pacific Affairs 72(3):331-351.
- ^ Donnan, Shawn (2004). Jailed ex-tycoon Hasan is released early in Indonesia. Financial Times February 23. p 2.
- ^ Bita, Natasha (2000). IOC tries to get its own out of jail. The Australian. September 13.
- ^ Wulandaru, Dicky Christanto (31 March 2020). "Track and field figure, former minister Mohamad 'Bob' Hasan dies of cancer". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 31 March 2020.