Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Apart from the architect Frederich Silaban, there are other figures who are also considered to have played an important role in the construction of the National Monument (Monas). He is Teuku Markam.
However, his name is not well known. But many sources say he donated 28 kilograms (kg) of gold for the construction of the Monas fire monument.
Whether this claim is true or not is still a matter of debate. However, one thing that is certain about the figure of Teuku Markam is the fact that he was a rich businessman during the Sukarno era.
In the book What and Who Are Some Indonesians? (1984), it is known that Teuku Markam was born in Panton Labu on March 12 1924 of noble descent (uleebalang). Even though he has privileges, he chooses not to go to school.
Entering the age of 20, Markam decided to take up arms against the Dutch. At that age he chose to become a weapons smuggler from Singapore to Pekanbaru.
He carried out this struggle for 10 years. In fact, he is included in the middle class of officers, namely the rank of Captain.
However, in 1957 he decided to leave the military and become an entrepreneur. He founded the company PT. Karkam, an abbreviation of Skin Aceh Raya Captain Markam.
Richard Robinson in Indonesia: The Rise of Capital (2009) stated that Karkam was the only company that had exclusive rights to export rubber from South Sumatra (Sumsel) to Singapore and Malaysia during the confrontation period (1960-1963). Apart from that, Karkam also holds a large project license from the state, namely the import of Nissan Jeep and Asano Cement from Japan.
Thanks to this large business, Robinson said that Karkam is a company with millions of US dollars in assets. The profits obtained by the company clearly made Markam very rich because his money was unlimited.
Because of this, he is also known as a businessman who likes to party in Jakarta. In fact, Soekarno even knew him as a successful businessman who often appeared at the State Palace for “dances” and philanthropic activities.
Unfortunately, his closeness to Soekarno became a stumbling block for Markam. After the change of power, President Soeharto imprisoned Markam.
He is said to be involved in corruption and the 30 September Movement rebellion. Soeharto then imprisoned Markam for 9 years, from 1966 to 1975.
During his detention, Markam’s assets were taken by the New Order government. Still in the book The What and Who of a Number Indonesians (1984), it was recorded that Markam’s assets were taken by the state, such as cars, houses, land, as well as Rp. 20 billion and US$ 30 million in cash.
In 1966, that amount of cash was huge. Understandably, the price of petrol alone is IDR 0.3.
In Teuku Markam: The Grim Story of a National Philanthropist (2011), PT Karkam was also taken over by the state and changed to a BUMN called PT Berdikari. The BUMN contained new people and completely removed Markam’s name and since then Markam has lived in misery.
Even though he was still running a business during the New Order, he still couldn’t be as successful as he was during the Old Order. His name is still considered a ‘traitor’ and is not rehabilitated.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(mfa/sef)