Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The election of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2024-2029 period is just around the corner. Many parties commented, one of which was a national businessman and Deputy Chair of the Gerindra Party Advisory Board, Hadhim Djojohadikusumo.
According to the Gerindra Party national leadership meeting at The Darmawangsa Jakarta, Monday (23/10/2023), he believes that the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka pair will win at the democratic party.
“Definitely win,” he said.
Hashim also believes that Prabowo and Gibran are a very suitable couple. He said Prabowo was a representative of a senior leader with a wealth of experience. Meanwhile, Gibran represents young people who are full of innovation and new thinking.
“I think this is extraordinary, a top combination,” he said.
Regardless
Hashim himself is not a new name in the world of Indonesian politics and business. He is an accomplished businessman who is also the 4th child of Soemitro Djojohadikusumo and Dora Sigar who was born on June 5 1954. This means that he is also the younger brother of Prabowo Subianto.
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So, who really is Hashim?
Hasmin initially didn’t want to be a businessman, let alone a politician. His initial dream was to be a fighter pilot. Unfortunately, this dream was dashed after he was diagnosed with nearsightedness and had to wear glasses.
As a result, wrote William Pratama Subagja in Indonesia’s Super Rich (2013), he then chose to study abroad. It is known that he went to California, USA, to study business at Panoma College in 1976. After graduating he went to France to intern as a financial analyst at the well-known investment company, Lazard Freres Et Cie.
Hashim argued that his activities abroad were carried out because he did not want to be seen as taking advantage of his father’s power. Because, at that time Soemitro was serving as Minister of Research for Indonesia for the 1973-1978 period. It was only when his father retired that Hashim returned to his hometown and started a business in Indonesia.
“I just didn’t feel comfortable. So when I came home, my father no longer held office. That’s better, no one accused me of doing business because of my parents’ facilities,” said Hashim as quoted by Didin Abidin Masud in The Struggle of 26 Indonesian Managers Towards Success (1997).
In Indonesia, Hashim immediately became director of Sumitro’s business consulting company, Indo Consult. After two years, precisely in 1980, he started to establish his own company, namely PT Era Persada which operates in the trade sector. It was at this point that Hashim’s business idea emerged. He wants a cement business.
Still quoting William Subagja’s presentation, Hashim saw that cement was a potential business. The massive development in the era of President Soeharto definitely required cement as a basic material. And this business will definitely not die and will always need many people in the future. Perhaps, Hashim learned from tycoon Sudono Salim who was successful after establishing the first cement factory with the Indocement brand.
As a result, it didn’t take long for Hashim to immediately enter the cement industry. The name of the factory is Cibinong Cement. Luckily, when I started the business, there was a shortage of cement supply in Indonesia. Cibinong Cement, which had just been born, was immediately attacked by the public and the company made profits many times over.
Slowly, not only cement, Hashim also registered other business sectors. It is known that he owns PT Tidar Kerinci Agung which plays in the palm oil industry. Then, there is PT Prahabima which owns the Asian Development Bank. There is also PT Tirtamas Majutama which operates in the fields of resources, manufacturing and trade. Lastly he owns PT Bank Universal and PT Ina Persada.
Not only that, Hashim’s business also extends overseas. In a joint interview CNBC Indonesia (11 August 2022), Hashim also admitted that he had been in the oil business for 34 years in Russia or what was previously called the Soviet Union. He is known to own oil fields in Kazakhstan and black gold wells in Azerbaijan and the United States.
During the New Order era, Hashim’s business was relatively strong. During the 1998 monetary crisis, Hashim’s business faltered, but has survived to this day. Now, all his businesses are under the auspices of the Arsari Group, which was founded in 2013. Thanks to his large business network, Hashim was crowned Forbes as the 40th richest person in Indonesia with assets of US$ 685 million or Rp. 10.4 trillion.
Now, Hashim has not only entered the political sector but is also philanthropic. He is active in the rehabilitation of Sumatran tigers, saving historical objects abroad, and writing Indonesian history.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(mfa/wur)