President Jokowi Pays Tribute to Indonesian Media Icon Jakob Oetama

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo has expressed his condolences for the passing of Kompas Gramedia founder Jakob Oetama. “I truly feel the loss of Jakob Oetama, who died today on Wednesday, September 9, 2020,” said Jokowi on Twitter.

“[Jakob] was more than just an [Indonesian] media stalwart who was the founder of the Kompas newspaper or the Kompas Media Group; he was a national figure.”

Jokowi also praised him as a determined journalist who balanced his critical outlook with civility in both language and manners.

Also read: Kompas Gramedia Founder Jakob Oetama Passes Away

Jakob will be interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta on September 10, in a military ceremony presided by former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla due to his services to the Indonesian media.

Jakob died at the age of 88 in Jakarta due to organ failure. He founded the Kompas Gramedia Group in 1963 with Intisari as its first publication, followed by Kompas newspaper in 1965.

The group has since expanded to the Gramedia chain of bookstores and other businesses to become Indonesia’s largest media conglomerate.

Aside from his internment at Kalibata, Jakob’s services to journalism was also recognized with an award of the Bintang Mahaputra medal 3rd class by then President Soeharto in 1973.

Aside from Jokowi, a range of Indonesian public figures like politician Fahri Hamzah and filmmaker Joko Anwar also paid tribute to Jakob Oetama. 

(Writer: Rakhmat Nur Hakim | Editor : Diamanty Meiliana)

Sources: 

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/09/09/17231301/jakob-oetama-wafat-jokowi-saya-sungguh-kehilangan-almarhum-adalah-tokoh.