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Web-only Exclusives November 30, 2000 From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead Bad news for the Philippines - and some others From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights? |
THE FIRST FAMILY'S AFFAIRS
ASIDE FROM BAMBANG TRIHATMODJO, Indonesia's President and Madame Tien Suharto have five other children and a growing number of grandchildren. Though all have largely stayed out of public life (with the exception of eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana), the six children have gone into business in one capacity or another. Here's a brief summary of their activities:
Siti Hardijanti Rukmana
An icon on television broadcasts in her Muslim scarf, the 47-year-old is active in the political and business worlds. Commonly known as Mbak (sister) Tutut, she is married to prominent businessman Indra Rukmana. She started in business in 1983 with trading company Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada. Her husband and younger sisters have shares in the company. Tutut also holds a 17.5% stake in the Salim group-controlled Bank Central Asia.
Since its start, the Citra Lamtoro group has moved into telecommunications, infrastructure, agribusiness, pulp and paper, fisheries, television, building materials and ship manufacturing. The group is best known for its work in toll-road construction; it has won contracts during the past two years to build roads in Malaysia and the Philippines. Among her business partners, she counts timber magnate Prajogo Pangestu and the Sultan of Brunei. Like Bambang, she insists none of her success is due to special concessions.
Tutut says her businesses are a way of supporting her social work: "This sort of work needs money. If you constantly ask for sponsorship, that's not nice." Now head of the Indonesian Red Cross and two sports organizations, she is perhaps best known as chairwoman of the central board of ruling group Golkar. She is said to harbor higher political ambitions, but for now her father seems to prefer to keep her in the wings.
Sigit Harjojudanto
One of the least visible of the Suharto offspring, he is a major shareholder in top-ranked Bank Central Asia. Harjojudanto, 44, is also involved in PT PENI, a petrochemicals joint venture with British Petroleum. He helped found younger brother Hutomo Mandala Putra's fast-rising Humpuss group, of which he holds 40%.
The subject of rumors in his youth because of a reported gambling habit, Harjojudanto attracted negative publicity in the early 1990s for his role as one of the managers of the controversial SDSB lottery. Designed to provide funding for sports, the lottery was banned in 1993 after Muslim groups called it a form of gambling.
Harjojudanto was upstaged by his wife Elsye Anneke Ratnawati late last year when she was named as one of the Indonesians active in aggressive share-buying on the Singapore Stock Exchange. Their first son, Ari Haryo Sigit, 24, attracted even more heat in February when one of his companies imposed a levy on beer and alcohol sales in Bali. President Suharto ordered the levy removed in March.
Hutomo Mandala Putra
Known as Tommy Suharto, the 34-year-old can be described as Indonesia's most eminent bachelor. The power behind the Humpuss business group and a racing-car enthusiast, he has been linked with a number of beauties.
Started with $100,000 of capital in 1984, the Humpuss group quickly mushroomed into a major player. In 1994, Tommy said the group's annual turnover was as high as $500 million. Included in the Humpuss empire are holdings in private airline Sempati, charter operator Gatari and a host of companies active in shipping, agribusiness, media, toll-road construction, oil and gas exploration and timber. Tommy also heads the clove marketing board BPPC, designed to help growers of the important spice. Critics note that so far BPPC has succeeded only in lowering returns to growers while raising the price to buyers.
Last month, Tommy pulled another coup by forming a car company with Korea's Kia Motors. That deal won the ire of other producers, including brother Bambang, when officials gave the new firm "national car status," freeing it from import duties on components and a luxury tax. Tommy already owns a 60% share in Italian carmaker Lamborghini.
Siti Hediati Harijadi
President Suharto's fourth child, the 37-year-old is more commonly known as Titiek. Her husband, Brig.-Gen. Prabowo Subianto, is a rising military star; he was just appointed special forces commander. They have one boy. The marriage has also brought with it business connections: Titiek is a partner in Jakarta's elite Plaza Senayan shopping development with brother-in-law Hashim Djojohadikusumo. Her company, Maharani Paramita, established in 1992, is active in telecommunications, finance, property and forestry.
Like Tutut, Titiek is involved in prominent social causes. She heads the Indonesian Arts Foundation, the Table Tennis Association and the national sports body's fundraising foundation.
Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih
The youngest of the Suharto clan is 31. She is married to Pratikto Prayitno Singgih, a graduate in economics from the University of Indonesia, with whom she has one boy.
Known as Mamie, her only business interest so far is a share in a company reclaiming land on the north Jakarta coast. That venture is expected to pay dividends in development rights later on. She also serves as director of the Mekarsari Fruit Garden in the hills near Jakarta. An idea started by her mother, the project aims to help make Indonesian fruit growers competitive in world markets.
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