Harmoko

Harmoko
Information Minister of Indonesia
In office 1983–1997
Preceded by	Ali Murtopo
Succeeded by	Alwi Dahlan
Chairman of Golkar
In office 1993–1998
Preceded by	Wahono
Succeeded by	Akbar Tanjung
12th Speaker of the People's Representative Council
In office 1997–1999
Preceded by	Wahono
Succeeded by	Akbar Tanjung
Personal details
Born	(1939-02-07) 7 February 1939 Kertosono, Nganjuk, East Java, Dutch East Indies
Nationality	Indonesian
Political party	Golkar
Spouse	Sri Romadhiyati

Harmoko (born 7 February 1939 in Kertosono, Nganjuk, East Java, Dutch East Indies) is an Indonesian politician and former Minister of Information.

Early career

After attending journalism school in Jakarta, Harmoko began working as a journalist with Merdeka weekly news magazine in 1960. He worked on a number of newspapers, and in 1970 became editor of the Pos Kota and Terbit Jakarta dailies. In 1975, he became a member of the Press Council and of the Film Censorship Board.

Political career

In 1977, Harmoko became a member of the Indonesian legislature, the People's Consultative Assembly. He served as information minister in the New Order regime of President Suharto in three successive cabinets (Fourth Development Cabinet, Fifth Development Cabinet and Sixth Development Cabinet) from 1983 until 1997, during which time it was said that his name was an abbreviation for hari-hari omong kosong (talking nonsense every day). Harmoko used his authority to extend the remit of the press publication enterprise permit (SIUPP). Withdrawal of the SIUPP from a publishing company meant it could not longer legally function, and it could also be used to effectively ban individual publications. After the weekly news magazine Tempo published an article critical of the purchase of East German warships by Research and Technology B. J. Habibie, the magazine's SIUPP was revoked on 21 June 1994 and it ceased publishing. Two other news publications, Detik and Editor were banned at the same time.

Following a term as deputy chairman, from 1993 to 1998 Harmoko was chairman of the Golkar ruling political organization, becoming the first civilian to hold this position. In June 1997, he was appointed state minister for special affairs, a post he held for only three months as in October 1997, he was chosen as chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly and People's Representative Council, a post he held until 1999. Despite years of loyalty to President Suharto, following widespread student demonstrations calling for a change of government, on 18 May 1998, Harmoko caused great surprise at a press conference by asking the president to step down within five days. This may have been because Harmoko was upset by his dismissal as information minister and his not being considered for the vice-presidency, or possibly because Harmoko was upset after rioters set fire to his house in Surakarta.

Honours

Foreign honour

• Malaysia : Honorary Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) (1998)

References

• Cory Rogers (26 June 2014), "Twenty years after 'Tempo' banning reflection", The Jakarta Post, retrieved 18 May 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• The Editors (April 1993). "The Sixth Development Cabinet Announced March 17, 1993" (PDF). Indonesia. 55 (55): 167–176. Retrieved 16 May 2020. {{cite journal}}: |author= has generic name (help)
• Friend, Theodore (2003). Indonesian destinies. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-01137-6.
• Schwarz, Adam (1999). A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia's Search for Stability (2nd ed.). Allen & Unwin. ISBN 9781760636913.
• Sekretariat Jenderal DPR RI (1999), Profil Ketua-ketua DPR RI sejak tahun 1945 s/d Agustus 1999 [Profiles of the Speakers of the People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia from 1945 to August 1999] (PDF) (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Sekretariat Jenderal DPR RI
• Simanjuntak, P. N. H. (2003). Kabinet-Kabinet Republik Indonesia: Dari Awal Kemerdekaan Sampai Reformasi [Cabinets of the Republic of Indonesia: From the Beginning of Independence to the Reform Era] (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Djambatan. ISBN 979-428-499-8.
• Zaid Salim (12 September 2015), "The abuse of verbal culture", The Jakarta Post, retrieved 17 May 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)