LIPUTANSATU.COM: Our Good Friend: Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan

General (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, MPA (born in Simargala, Huta Namora, Silaen, Toba Samosir, North Sumatra, 28 September 1947) is Indonesian presidential chief of staff. Appointed by Presiden Joko Widodo, the power of presidential chief of staff is established for the first time since the founding of Republic of Indonesia, within the establishment of 26th Presidential Regulation, 2015 (Peraturan Presiden Nomor 26 tahun 2015).

Pandjaitan was Minister of Trade and Industry for Indonesia during Abdurrahman Wahid's administration and Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore during crucial era of the Reformation 1999–2000.

He found Toba Sejahtra Group, a fast-growing group with three core activities: natural resources (oil, gas and mining), electricity generation (coal, gas and geothermal) and agriculture. A four-star general, he has diverse experience in the military, diplomacy, government, business and in what he defines as most important: social development.

Various battlefield and important positions have bears; Commander of Group 3 Special Forces, Commander of Infantry Weaponry (Pussenif), to the Commander of Education and Training (Kodiklat) Army. In military circles Luhut known as the first commander of Detachment 81 as he established the Detachment 81 (now Sat-81 / Gultor) of the red beret Special Forces, which now became one of the best counter-terrorism special forces in the world.

Luhut is also chairman of the DEL Foundation, which has created schools including a technology college for underprivileged students, a bilingual high school for gifted children, a kindergarten and an elementary school. In addition, the foundation awards scholarships and funds education infrastructure development and construction. Pandjaitan is also founder of the Luhur Bakti Pertiwi Foundation, whose purpose is to nurture young Indonesian talents. His Kader Bangsa leadership program today has 250 alumni. Pandjaitan recently received Ernst & Young's Businessman of the Year Award in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Family[edit]

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan is the first son of Bonar Pandjaitan and Siti Frida Naiborhu. He has 4 brothers. Married to Devi Simatupang, Luhut Pandjaitan has four children, namely: Paulina, David, Paul and Kerri Pandjaitan.

Education[edit]

To pursue his dream, he moved to Bandung for continued his high school. This is where he later became one of the founders of the Indonesian Student Action Union (KAPI) that raise students against the Old Order and the PKI (Indonesian Communist Party).

In 1967, Luhut continued his education to Indonesian Armed Forces Academy of the Army, and 3 years later he was awarded as the Best Graduate in 1970, thus gaining the Adhi Makayasa Award. 1988, he graduated from George Washington University, Washington DC, USA, with Masters in Public Administration degree.

National Defense University, USA (1989).
Indonesian Armed Forces Academy, Recipient of Adhi Makayasa & Tri Sakti Wiratama Award as the best graduate from academy section Army (1970).
Army General Staff And Command College (SESKOAD) (1980).
Armed Forces General Staff And Command College (SESKO ABRI) (1988).
National Resilience Institute (LEMHANNAS) (1995).

In 2001 Luhut Pandjaitan set up in the village of Del Informatics Polytechnic Sitoluama, Toba Samosir. Del Informatics Polytechnic has been developed to Del Institute of Technology.

Training[edit]

Royal Army Special Air Service (SAS), UK (1981)
Shooting & Anti-Terror Training Instructor, West Germany (1981)
Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Course, Grenzschutzgrupppe 9 (GSG-9) German Federal Police, West Germany (1981)
US Army Air Borne, Pathfinder, And Ranger Course, Fort Bragg And Fort Benning, USA (1976)
Free Fall Instructor Course, US Army Special Forces, Fort Bragg, United States (1976)
Mobile Trainning Team (MTT) Golden Knight Instructor Course, US Army Special Forces, Fort Bragg, United States (1978)
HALO/HAHO Jumpmaster Instructor, US Army Jumpmaster School, USA (1980)
US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (US. Army Special Forces Course), Fort Bragg, United States (1978)
Bomb Disposal Instructor Training, US Army Special Forces, Fort Bragg, United States (1977).

Stratification According to Rank[edit]

2nd Lieutenant Inf (1970)
1st Lieutenant Inf (1973)
Captain Inf (1975)
Major Inf (1980)
Lieutenant Colonel Inf (1983)
Colonel Inf (1990)
Brigadier General/BG (1995)
Major General/MG (1996)
Lieutenant General/LTG (1997)
General/GEN (1 November 2000) (HOR)

Military Occupation[edit]

Commander of I/A Platoon Group 1 Airborne Commando Special Forces (1971)
Commander of Siliwangi Battalion Platoon in West Borneo, In Operation Eradication And Crushing PGRS / Paraku (1972).
Commander of A Company Group 1 Airborne Commando Special Forces (1973).
Commander of A Company Eagle Contingent Troops Peace Keeping Forces (KONGA VI), Port Said, Port Fuad, Port Suez, Egypt (1973–1974).
Special Aide De Camp For Brigadier General TNI Yogie Suardi Memet (Commander Of The Southern Brigade Area) Eagle Contingent Troops Peace Keeping Forces (KONGA VI), Port Said, Port Fuad, Port Suez, Egypt (1973–1974).
Commander of C Team Group 1 The Airborne Commando Unit In Operation "Seroja" (Lotus), Kopassus (1975).
Commander of The Hunter Killer Company Team of The Elite Special Forces Task Force Unit In Operation "Seroja" (Lotus) (1976). Luhut achieved The Best Company Commander during that Operation Seroja (1976).
Operations Officer On Strategic Intelligence Center.
Operating Officer at the Task Force / Force Intel Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) Armed Forces.
The Founder and First Commander of Detachment 81 Counter-Terrorist Special Forces (1981).
The Founder and First Commander of Project Eagle On Strategic Intelligence Center Agency (Pusintelstrat), BAIS Armed Forces (1983)
Commander of The Elite Special President Security Unit / VVIP At the ASEAN Summit Manila, Philippines (1984).
The Founder and First Commander of Creme De La Creme Charlie's Project / Project Intelligence Techniques On Detachment 81 Counter-Terrorist Special Forces (1985).
Commander of The Elite Special Forces Hunter Killer Commando Forces In East Timor Middle Sector (Osu, Frekueike, Laisorobai). Luhut achieved The Best of the Best Elite Special Forces Commander (1986).
The Commander of The Airborne School on Special Forces Education Center (1987).
Assistant Operations (As-Ops) Special Forces (1989).
Commander of Special Forces Group 3 Combat Intelligent/Sandhi Yudha (1990).
Commander of Special Forces Education Center (1993).
Commander of Military Resort/Korem 081/Dhirotsaha Jaya, Madiun, East Java. Luhut achieved The Best of the Best In Among Indonesian Territorial Military Commander (1995).
Deputy Commander of Center For Infantry Weaponry & Armaments (1995).
Commander of Center For Infantry Weaponry & Armaments (1996–1997).
Commander of The Army Training, Education, and Doctrine Command (1997–1999).
Indonesian Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Singapore (1999–2000).
Minister of Industry and Trade of Indonesia (2000–2001).
Chief Staff of Indonesian Presidency (2014 – Presents).

Careers in Government[edit]

In 1999 President BJ Habibie appointed him Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Singapore in the early crucial era of the Reformation. Luhut expertise in diplomacy considered able to overcome the relations between two countries that had disrupted and less disjointed communication between leaders of the country after Suharto era. In the first 3 months of his duty, he was able to restore relations between the two countries to its original level.

Then at the time of President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Luhut withdrawn from Singapore. Gus Dur was entrusted him as the Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, although in a short period (2000–2001), the shortest age Gus Dur ruling as President of Republic of Indonesia. The President in the next government also intends to entrust Luhut back as minister, but he turned it down because he has moral ethic to Gus Dur.

Community Development[edit]

In 2001 Luhut had the idea to build a foundation that focus in education for people in need. Then with his wife, Devi, Luhut create a foundation called Del. The goal is to optimise human resources in Indonesia to be useful for the nation and the state.

Nowadays, Del Foundation engaged in education, technology, health, humanitarian and build orphanages. In addition, Del also provide scholarships regardless of status or class. His first program is to establish the Polytechnic Informatics Del is now becoming Institute of Technology Del, on the shores of Lake Toba. Precisely in Sitoluama, Laguboti, Tobasa District. Now, IT Del has open new majors: Engineering Management, Information Systems and Information Engineering.

DEL Institute of Technology, intended for gifted children from poor families in Indonesia. Since its founding, the Institute of Technology in co-operation with Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), NIT India and Wollongong University in Australia.

Luhut also established Luhur Bakti Pertiwi Foundation that has 250 alumni of the younger generation with high integrity spirited leader in 23 provinces. In addition Luhut also founded the Lingkar Binsa Prakarsa Foundation as an independent non-partisan to be the Centre for Policy Studies and Strategic Assistance.

Entrepreneurship[edit]

In 2004 Luhut started his business in the field of energy and mining by establishing PT Toba Sejahtra Group. Now under Toba Sejahtra engaged in the coal mining sector, there are subsidiaries engaged in the oil and gas sector, agriculture, and electricity.

PT Toba Bara Sejahtera Tbk (Toba Bara) is one of the main producers of thermal coal competitive in Indonesia. As a subsidiary of PT Toba Sejahtra Group, Toba Bara has developed into a major coal producer that operates on three (3) concession area in East Kalimantan coal mine. Areas adjacent mine, which is managed by 3 (three) subsidiary, located in a favourable location of the mine, as well as the close distance to the local port. Since the start of production in 2007, an increase which is fast becoming a leading company in the field of coal. The area of Toba Bara overall mine around 7087 hectares with a total estimated resource of 236 million tonnes.

The first development on greenfield assets begins with PT Indomining in 2007, followed by PT Adimitra Baratama Nusantara (ABN) in 2008. Later, the development of PT Trisensa Mineral Utama (TMU) started in 2011.

Dated 6 July 2012 Toba Bara listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) with ticker TOBA and release of 210.681 million shares or 10.5% of the total paid-up capital, with proceeds amounting to Rp 400.293.900.000, -. IPO price of Rp 1,900, – per share.

In addition there is a concession company held by the Group Toba Sejahtera, PT Kutai Energi. While in the oil and gas sector there PT Energi Mineral Langgeng and PT Fairfield Indonesia. In the electricity sector, there is PT Pusaka Jaya Palu Power and Kartenegara Energy Perkasa. Then in the plantation sector, there are two companies, namely, PT Trisena Agro Lestari Sejahtra and PT Adimitra. And in the industrial sector there are PT Smartias Indo Gemilang, PT Rakabu Sejahtra and PT Kabil Citranusa.

PT Pusaka Jaya Palu Tower engaged in the electricity sector since 2007, managed to build a steam power plant. And this is a private steam power plant in Indonesia.

For coal and mining, most of its products in-exports to China, Korea, Taiwan, India, and Japan.

Honors and Awards[edit]

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, for contributions to the Social Development (2011).
Award from the National Sports Committee of Indonesia as the best national coaches Sports (2006).
Best Military Commander in Indonesia (1995).
Military Merit: Faithfulness 8 Years, 16 Years Loyalty, Kartika Eka Paksi Star and Kartika Eka Paksi Nararya Star Achievement
Adhi Makayasa as the best graduate from Army academy (1970).