HE is widely known with his affectionate initial JO as all Kompas Daily’s journalist have their own initials respectively.
Yesterday on 9 September 2020, the founder of Kompas Daily –the nation’s most leading and the most influential newspaper in Indonesia—dies at 88 after weeks of illness due to his poor health condition as becoming old.
With his partner a Chinese businessman the late Peter Canisius Ojong or (Auwjong Pheng Koen) and under the support of Plantation Minister Frans Seda, Oetama released its first Kompas publication in 28 June 1965.
At the time when the influential power of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) has reached their “power” in the inner circle of the Indonesian authority, including the nation’s first President Soekarno (or Sukarno or Bung Karno).
The first idea of Kompas’ publication came from Army Chief General Ahmad Yani who urged Minister Frans Seda to find “good Catholic” professional journalists to create non-partial and independent daily to confront the emerging and powerful influence of the PKI in the Indonesian administration.
Seda then contacted both the late Ojong and Oetama to execute the idea of the fist Catholic daily publication.
But, in 30 September 1965 and along with six Army’s senior generals, General Yani was then brutally murdered by the presidential service men “Tjakrabirawa” as they were accused of orchestrating a coup against President Sukarno whose strong relationship with the PKI and its top leaders have prompted anger among pro American army generals.
On 1 October 1965, Army’s Strategic Command General Suharto launched a “counter attack” against PKI and the general’s assailants and when he finally came to power in 1967 Suharto launched a massive “manhunt” to PKI cadres and followers and brough them to Buru Island as their exile.
This move has been under strong concern from both foreign and domestic human rights agencies, accusing Suharto’s regime to have brought the death of at least 500 thousand to 1 million people during the manhunt period.
Catholic supports for the publication
Such a move was strongly supported by among others:
- Indonesian Bishop of Conference or MAWI (Majelis Wali Gereja Indonesia, the Indonesian Council of Indonesian Catholic Churches).
- Catholic Party President Ignatius Joseph Kasimo.
- Minister Frans Seda.
- The Indonesian Catholic Student Association (PMKRI).
- The Catholic Youth Organisation (Pemuda Katolik).
- Top Catholic writer Francis Conradus Palaoesoeka, a charismatic Dayak figure from West Kalimantan Province.
All parties agreed to establish the Bentara Rakyat Foundation (The People’s Herald) as the legal entity to publish a printed publication.
Financial sources were then –among others—provided by the Catholic Church including Jakarta Archdiocese.
Before Kompas Daily first publication was made released on 28 June 1965, the late Jakob Oetama was the chief editor of a Catholic printed weekly publication known as Penabur whose meaning is to sow the seeds of plants.
After long discussion among the first pioneers of Kompas, the Bentara Rakyat Foundation finally achieved their final decision:
- Jakob Oetama was installed as the chief editor.
- PK Oyong was assigned to deal with business issues.
Both are widely known as the real founder of Kompas ever since.
Merging two different work ethics
Both Oetama and Oyong came from two different culture and social ethics.
Oyong is a Chinese businessman who later on became the chief editor of Chinese Star Weekly magazine. He has strong charisma in doing business with clear moral standard.
And Oetama was a former seminarian. After completing his studies in Minor Seminary Mertoyudan, he pursued his further studies in Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta.
Born in a village near the world’s largest Buddhist Temple Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java, Oetama pursued his first carrier as high school teacher.
Early in 1960-ies , he joined Penabur Catholic Weekly Magazine. And in 1963 along with his close friend Oyong, he released their first Intisari Magazine, a monthly printed publication – an almost similar to Reader’s Digest.
The existence of Intisari for both of them are the historical background of the Kompas publication.
As the first chief editor of Kompas, both Oyong and Oetama recruited best quality journalist from various ethnic background whose commitment to boost the Indonesian pluralistic society should always be strong and no single interest to be partial to any politic groups.
It is due to its “neutrality” that Kompas Daily has been becoming the leading daily in Indonesia –an iconic media that both Indonesian society and the State would have always referred to.
It is twice that Kompas has even been told not to be published. In 1965 and in 1978 due its moral stance and “neutrality” which sometimes prompts a sense of “dislike” feelings in both Sukarno administration and Suharto’s authoritarian regime.
Today, the KKG (Kompas-Gramedia Group) is the core business company with hundreds of publication media, television, hotels and book store, printing company, and others.
Oetama will be laid to rest to Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta and his body will be first to be placed in Kompas-Gramedia HQ in Palmerah Selatan today before heading to Kalibata.
Ref: http://www.asianews.it/notizie-it/Jakarta:-muore-Jakob-Oetama,-fondatore-del-Kompas-Daily–50991.html
