The Tale of the King of Tire

THAT morning, President Sukarno was chatting over coffee with his closest friends at the Merdeka Palace. The head of state was informed of bad news from Ibrahim "Bram" Tambunan who told him about Indonesia's export of agricultural products that was being boycotted to enter the European market. As a solution, Bram suggested opening a trade office in the Netherlands that would handle the import of agricultural products from Indonesia and the export of industrial goods to Indonesia. Sukarno fully supported his idea.

Bram Tambunan himself owned an export and import company called NV Ipilo that was headquartered at Jalan Batu Tulis 48 Jakarta. To manage the trade office in the Netherlands, he appointed Ferry Sonneville, his best friend who also was a badminton world champion. However, the idea made Sukarno furious as he couldn't picture an athlete entrusted with a responsibility as a trader. Bram then stated that refusal by Sukarno to Ferry, who actually wasn't new to the world of commerce. 

Ferry graduated from the Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool (NEH) in Rotterdam – now Erasmus University Rotterdam – and was appointed as the deputy director of Bank Indonesia. As the order came straight from the president, none could be done. Bram then recommended his fellow alumni, Kwik Kian Gie, to fill the position of director of the trade office. 

At that time, Kwik had just returned from the Netherlands after working as an assistant for cultural and press attaché at the Indonesian embassy. After half an hour of interview with Bram, he was offered the job of administering the trade office in the Netherlands. 

"I said yes because I considered it as an order, to make sure that Indonesia could export again," recalled Kwik Kian Gie, now 87 years old.

With the 30,000 guilders from Bram, Kwik left for the Netherlands to open a trade office and become the director of NV Ipilo Amsterdam.

Kwik Kian Gie was later known as a prominent economist and served as the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, as well as the Head of Bappenas. Meanwhile, Bram Tambunan, who was once acknowledged as one of the "palace tycoons", was no longer known. His trace practically disappeared, and his name went down along with the overthrow of Sukarno.

A Merchant Family

In his time, Bram Tambunan was recognized as a successful entrepreneur and even included in the palace's inner circle. His flair in trade was inherited from his father, Haji Mochamad Jasin Tambunan.

As noted by Merdeka newspaper on 19 May 1956, Jasin was born a Christian in Tambunan Balige (Tapanuli) in 1893. He began his career by working as a helper for a Sibolga trader, Haji Mohd. Thaib. Jasin's good nature got him adopted by Thaib, and it was when Jasin converted to Islam.

At the age of 20, Jasin relocated to Jakarta, bringing along with him his experience of working with his adoptive father. He resided and started a batik business in Kampung Malaka. Shortly thereafter, his wife died without leaving any children. Jasin then remarried to Sariha, a Jakarta woman, who bore him 16 children – three of whom died.

As a trader, Jasin was familiar to the people working in batik-producing areas such as Karet, Palmerah, and Kebayoran. He frequently bought up batik and sent it to neighboring regions and to Malaya. His business progressed rapidly in no time, to the point of him controlling the batik production in Jakarta while serving a large number of the customers in almost every city in Indonesia. When the world economy fell into a downturn, his business remained thriving.

However, this tremendous success didn't make him slack. According to Merdeka, Jasin had a way of managing his wealth. He invested 30 percent of his money to build houses, saved 30 percent in the bank, used 30 percent for trade purposes, and the remaining 10 percent for charity. “That is why he was able to build several buildings on Jalan Tosari, Jalan Hadji Agus Salim and Jalan Kimia. He also established several mosques and schools in Tambunan where he was born, and in Porsea, a Christian-dominated area.”

That Jasin was a generous businessman was an open secret. Citing from the local newspaper Sinar Deli, De Indische Courant on its 20 February 1939 edition included Jasin's name in a review of the development of Islam and preaching in the Batak Land. 

It was also mentioned that in a small town called Tambunan, there was a mosque and public school that provided religious lessons. The school was open to Christians. “Studying there is free. The teachers are hired by Haji Mohd. Jasin glr. Soetan Saidi, a local merchant who resides in Batavia."

The mosque and school are still open until today and are run under the management of the Mohd. Yasin Tambunan Orphanage Foundation. As quoted by Waspada on 6 June 2020, Al-Munawar Mosque was founded by Jasin in 1943. A non-formal semi-Islamic boarding school was later built nearby to shelter the orphans, the poor, and the displaced people. The exact location is known to be in Lumban Pea Village, Balige District, North Tapanuli Regency.

The difficult and challenging era during the Japanese occupation didn't stop Jasin's business from flourishing. In his autobiography Seorang Sastrawan 45 Penyair Danau Toba, Sitor Situmorang said that Jasin owned a cloth shop in Senen. Jasin was also part of a group of native entrepreneurs with Johan Johor and Rahman Tamin who aimed to revive the awareness of economic nationalism through their trade activities.

According to Sitor, the effort of Jasin and his friends was regarded as groundbreaking, considering that the national trade at that time was under the domination of foreign corporations. Whilst growing his business, Jasin also forged relationships with prominent nationalist leaders. He was close to Sukarno, who later became president. "That friendship was sustained by his son, Bram Tambunan," said Kwik.

To keep up with the times, Jasin founded an NV or trade firm called Hadji Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons, with offices located at Jalan Tiang Bendera and at Jalan Roa Malaka Selatan, which later became the only address used by the company. The success of this firm ultimately gave Jasin Tambunan the recognition as "the rich man from the City".

Jasin's trade firm focused on the export and import sector, particularly in the industry of textiles. Several advertisements for the imported goods sold by the firm were published in various newspapers in the 1950s. One of the products that reaped great success was the Mambo Print, a clothing made from cotton and adorned by distinctive colorful patterns. According to Merdeka, the import of Mambo Print was one of the pinnacles of Jasin's "brainchild", which "very soon was adored and worn all over Indonesia".

On 12 May 1956, coinciding with the year's Eid al-Fitr, Jasin Tambunan passed away at the age of 63. The funeral was held at his residence at Jalan Sawah Besar 47 Jakarta and he was buried in the Karet Bivak cemetery. His departure left a great grief for his younger brother, Kamarudin Tambunan, as well as his wife and children.

Jasin left behind a wife and 13 children, namely Ibrahim, Djamaludin, Abdurrachman, Chairuddin, Azhar, Aminah, Mohamad Jamin, Johan, Thamrin, Hasan, Mohamad Achir, Julia and Chadidjah.

"Among his adult children, six of them are in the trade industry, and at the end, his business is practically carried out by their children, including brothers Bram Tambunan and Djamaluddin Tambunan," Merdeka noted.

After Jasin died, Bram Tambunan was entrusted with managing the Tambunan family business.

Bram's Product

Bram was born Ibrahim Tambunan on 5 April 1926 and later on there were very few records about his life and business. Kwik Kian Gie recalled that young Bram was particularly interested in electronics. He also took part in broadcasting the news of the proclamation of Indonesian independence to the United Nations using Morse code.

“Bram's hobby was electronics. He knew exactly the time Sukarno was kidnapped and forced to declare independence. When independence was proclaimed, he announced it to the United Nations, whose office at that time was still in Lake Success," said Kwik.

Bram married at the age of 26. The Java Bode newspaper on 8 March 1952 published the invitation to Bram Tambunan's wedding with Khow Giok Eng, a Chinese woman whose first name was Deetje. The wedding reception was held on Sunday, 9 March 1952 at des Indes Hotel, Jakarta.

As the successor to his family's business, Bram tried to keep the business' wheel of Hadji Mohd's Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm turning, as well as maintain the success of Mambo Print, which was initiated by his father. And for that, Bram had his own approach, which was incorporating the promotion of his products with social activities.

On 5 June 1956, the H. Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm held “Mambo Night” at Dharma Nirmala Hotel to showcase the latest collection of Mambo products, with a fashion and dance contest to enliven the occasion. All profits from the event were donated to Yayasan Kesejahteraan Penderita Kusta (the Leprosy Welfare Foundation) and Yayasan Pendidikan Sumbangsih. Interestingly, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who later became known as a leading Indonesian writer, won second place in the male category of the dance contest. 

The “Mambo Night” was a huge success. Among the 500 guests was First Lady Fatmawati Sukarno who, according to Nieuwsgier on 7 June 1956, took part in the event by singing her favorite songs.

Three months later, they held a follow-up event, a fashion show titled "Mambo Fashion Night" on 20 September 1956. According to Java Bode on 11 September 1956, all proceeds went to the construction of Gedung Wanita (the Women's Building) and Yayasan Pemeliharaan Anak-Anak Cacat (Foundation for the Care of Disabled Children). On that occasion, Bram worked together with famous fashion designer Joyce Mouthaan. The latest products that were exhibited were given the brand name "Bram's Product".

“A combination of brilliant colors, designed with impeccable artistic sense. Bram's Product that always adapts to the latest style. Stocks are limited. Go purchase now”. That piece of advertisement was published by Nieuwsgier on 12 November 1956.

Later on 5 June 1957, collaborating with Gelanggang Dagang Wanita, H. Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm held Sayonara Night Modeshow. The guests were entertained with music, dance, and comedy performances by the “Los Gilos Trio” Bing Slamet, Cepot and Udel. The funds collected were then donated for the establishment of Gedung Wartawan (Journalist Building) in Jakarta.

As a result, Mambo Print successfully attracted huge interest from the public, emerging as a  brand with an image of clothing that highlighted modern design.

In addition to textiles, H. Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm also expanded into other business lines. The firm was the sole agent for Matchless from England, a sports motorcycle that was on trend especially among the racing enthusiasts. The motorcycles were sold through several dealers in big cities such as Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, Makassar and Banjarmasin. For the after-sales service, the firm opened a Matchless House showroom at Jalan Sawah Besar 63 Jakarta, as well as a workshop that offered service, repair, and spare parts services.

Apart from that, H. Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm also became the sole agent in Indonesia for Bridgestone, a tire brand from Japan. It was from this business line that Bram Tambunan acquired his nickname: "the King of Tires" from Indonesia.

Slowly but surely, Bram Tambunan was getting out of his father's shadow.

Venturing in the Netherlands

Amid managing his family business, Bram still dedicated himself to managing the companies he started, NV Ipilo and Sinar Pagi, which were venturing in the export and import of commodities. However, although PT Sinar Pagi had a fair share of its popularity, there were very limited records about it, aside from the fact that Bram Tambunan was the owner, director, and shareholder.

Regarding Ipilo, Bram shared the ownership with Rubianto, a businessman from Gorontalo. Kwik disclosed that Rubianto was Bram's partner in conducting many businesses in Indonesia. The name Ipilo itself was suggested by Rubianto, taken from the name of a village in Gorontalo.

"That's why the name became NV Handelsonderneming Ipilo," said Kwik.

Ipilo expanded considerably after Bram obtained Sukarno's approval to open a trade office in the Netherlands. "In a short time, we had imported various kinds of agricultural products from Indonesia such as tea, coffee, rubber, cassava, cat whiskers plant, temulawak, and even quinine skin, which was actually prohibited for export, but a special permit was given to Bram," said Kwik.

Kwik added, to dominate the coffee market, Ipilo partnered with a Dutch trade company, NV Lindeteves, creating a duopoly. However, for teak and quinine imports, Ipilo suffered a huge loss due to malicious actions of the Dutch cartel.

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Apart from the Netherlands, Bram's trade offices spanned across Hong Kong and Tokyo. "Bram traveled around the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore too," said Kwik.  "If he happened to be in the Netherlands, we would meet and discuss business."

However, this good rapport between them remained outside of their work, as Kwik was often asked to find suppliers of intelligence equipment, a hobby that fascinated Bram. Kwik recalled how Bram once proudly offered a covert listening device to his best friend, Adam Malik, who in turn responded flatly and said, "does that mean you are better than the government?". Certainly, the government had far more sophisticated intelligence equipment than what Bram offered. 

Adam Malik was the Minister of Trade at that time. Having close friendships with high-ranking state officials was commonplace for businessmen like Bram Tambunan. Apart from Adam Malik, Bram was also close to Minister of Central Bank Affairs Jusuf Muda Dalam, and even to President Sukarno.

Bram surely understood the importance of allying with the authorities in order to keep his business alive. This approach of Bram was also practiced by the other entrepreneurs. "Sukarno was financially aided by those native wealthy businessmen. They were very rich because of the business they owned. One of them was Bram Tambunan," said Kwik.

Bram and Sukarno

One day, in a room at the Bristol Hotel in Vienna, Austria, there was a one-on-one meeting between President Sukarno and Robert F. Kennedy, attorney general and younger brother of the U.S. President John F. Kennedy. It was a friendly conversation where Robert Kennedy, without hesitation, relaxed his two feet on the table.

Bram Tambunan was also present, taking the responsibility as a butler serving tea, coffee and snacks. “Bram was of course eavesdropping. He heard about the strategy mapped out by Robert Kennedy to recover West Irian," revealed Kwik based on Bram's narrative.

When exactly the occasion occurred, Kwik was reluctant to confirm. However, he didn't have any doubt over Bram's friendship with Bung Karno at all. Bram himself was always willing to open his coffers in order to gain Sukarno's trust. 

Not only loyal, Bram was also royal. He regularly attended open auctions held by the Palace, one of them was a charity night at the Bogor Palace organized by the Asian-African Journalists Conference Committee (KWAA) on 29 December 1962. Hartini, Sukarno's third wife who chaired the KWAA honorary committee, auctioned off her gold bracelet. The bid was almost won by a group of North Sumatra businessmen led by Governor Colonel Ulung Sitepu with an offer of Rp20 million.

"That high bid was immediately followed by 21 million (rupiah) by Bram Tambunan, who at the end won Mrs. Hartini's bracelet," wrote Merdeka Daily, 31 December 1962. 

Bram was part of a group of private entrepreneurs called "the Palace Tycoon" whose members were also Sukarno loyalists. The other entrepreneurs included Agus Musin Dasaad, Hasjim Ning, TD Pardede, Abdulrachman Aslam, and Teuku Markam. According to Ganis Harsono, who served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his memoir Sukarno's Era Political Horizons, the group practically became Sukarno's unofficial economic team that provided him advice and carried out his politics.

Sukarno also gave special treatment to some of them by granting commodity export-import facilities and protection. They were Teuku Markam with PT Karkam for rubber, Abdulrachman Aslam for cotton, and Bram Tambunan for car tires. 

Since the second half of 1950, H. Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm that was run by Bram Tambunan officially became the importer of tires from Japan. Due to Bram's experience in that industry, he gained the trust of Sukarno to supply the increasing domestic demand for tires. For that, Bram was entrusted with the task of running PT Usaha Banteng Development with an office at Jalan Roa Malaka Selatan 23-25 Jakarta, close to his own trade office.

At first, the government held an open tender, but Sukarno ultimately decided to hand it over to Bram instead of a state company. The appointment of Bram annoyed Soekamto Sajidiman, the president director of P.N. Tulus Bhakti, a state company in the field of export, import and industry.

In his autobiography Wibawa Ibu, Soekamto said that as the sole import license holder of Bridgestone, Bram had the right to determine the terms for the sale of tires in Indonesia. On the other hand, Soekamto claimed that the company he led could get a more favorable import price than what Bram scored, and complained about this to the Trade Minister Adam Malik, who forwarded the matter to Sukarno. However, Sukarno still insisted on handing over the tire imports to Bram Tambunan. It didn't take long for Adam Malik to get a call from Sukarno for a meeting in Tokyo, in which he was ordered to dismiss Soekamto as the president director of Tulus Bhakti. 

Importing tires on a large scale certainly requires large capital, but that didn't hinder Bram because he was one of those who received the special deferred payment (DPC) facility, a year-long foreign loan to import goods. There were no clear rules about who was entitled to receive the DPC as it all depended on the ones in charge: Jusuf Muda Dalam and Sukarno. In return, Soegih Arto said in his autobiography Sanul Daca, those who obtained DPC must make a donation to the "Revolutionary Fund".

With that facility, Bram was able to import tires, fulfilling the government's request. On 29 October 1964, under the Presidential Instruction, Bram managed to import 50,000 Bridgestone tires. That number increased to 350,000 tires, based on the Presidential Instruction 12 December 1964. The imported tires were then sold domestically with a permit to levy a profit of 20% of the landed cost, which is the entire costs associated with the purchase process of an item until it arrives at the buyer's warehouse. The levy, according to Soegih Arto, was contributed towards the "Revolutionary Fund", the source of financing for Sukarno's lighthouse project.

It is not surprising that Bram Tambunan was said to have his part in completing the construction of the sports complex in Senayan (now the Bung Karno Sports Arena) and the Conefo Building (now the MPR/DPR complex). As mentioned in Sundanese Madjalah, No. 63, 1967, Bram was also behind the financing of the Jakarta Planetarium project.

According to Kwik Kian Gie, many businessmen effortlessly got approval when they asked for a monopoly. "The funds collected from the monopoly were not included in the calculation of the state budget, but were classified as non-budgeted funds instead," he said.   

On the Run

The 30 September Movement (G30S) 1965 put Sukarno's power in peril, which inevitably affected his courtiers. For the sake of restoring the security, the Army through the Operational Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Kopkamtib) detained both Aslam and Markam, while Bram Tambunan narrowly escaped the arrest by fleeing abroad. 

Rumors circulated that Bram had fled to the Netherlands, while the others swore he went to Hong Kong. "He is currently adventuring in Japan, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong," wrote Selecta magazine on 27 May 1968.

At that time, Selecta and a number of media outlets frequently raised the curtain on the depravity of Markam, Aslam, and Bram Tambunan. The three of them, according to Selecta, had the freedom to traverse in any Palace, including several of the president's private places. 

Bram, particularly, was said to have frequent dealings with Hartini who often asked for "souvenirs" from Bram every time he traveled abroad. Hartini was especially fond of gems or other jewelry as a gift. Bram was willing to buy her souvenirs as a repayment for Sukarno's generosity. The kind gesture, as written by Selecta, was because "Bram Tambunan was a trader who became wealthy because of Sukarno's kindness."

Bram's name was also mentioned during Jusuf Muda Dalam's subversion trial. Jusuf was charged with being responsible for the loss of the state funds through the provision of US$270 million DPC to a number of importers.

During the trial, Jusuf said he gave Bram Tambunan a DPC of US$10 million. During the trial on 1 September 1966 as cited by the Armed Forces, the judge proceeded to ask on what basis the gift was given, to which Jusuf replied, "because he is a good friend." Jusuf also confirmed that he often received money from Bram since their first introduction in 1959.

Meanwhile, President Sukarno was named as the recipient of the Bridgestone tire import commission given by Bram Tambunan. According to the report by the Central Investigation Team (Teperpu) of the Operational Command for the Restoration of Security and Order (Kopkamtib), the total commission received was US$ 2,063,129.15, which was deposited into Sukarno's account at a bank in Tokyo.

However, it was rather difficult to verify the information circulating at that time due to limited sources.

During a visit to Jakarta, Ken Yoshimura, a representative for Bridgestone Japan, stated that he didn't know anything about Bram's "venture" in the world of trade. Yoshimura also denied the slanted news regarding the underside of the Bridgestone tires which was said to be not strong enough, putting the doubt on the quality of their tires. Published by Kompas on 12 July 1966, Ken presented an official certificate from the Tokyo tire manufacturers association which stated that the Bridgestone coating was made of nylon, rayon, and steel fibers instead of cotton fibers.

During his runaway, the property and bank account of PT Sinar Pagi owned by Bram in Indonesia were frozen. As cited by Berita Yudha on 26 April 1966, the order was given by the Regional Dwikora Executive Authority (Papelrada) Djaya who was also the commander of Kodam, Brigadier General Amir Machmud. The same fate was experienced by PT Karkam owned by Markam and PT Aslam by Aslam.

After that, those three private companies were expropriated by the military and were merged into PT PP Berdikari under the leadership of Brigadier General Suhardiman. Under the Presidential Decree of 1967, Soeharto decided that the capital wealth of the three companies would be lent to PT PP Berdikari as working capital. Later, the Presidential Decree of 1974 deemed the capital wealth as the government's equity participation of PT PP Berdikari, who now has become a limited liability company (Persero) and is managed under the State-owned Enterprise (BUMN) ID Food.

The reason why Sinar Pagi's property was expropriated by the government remained unclear until now. Despite that, at least until 1969, Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm was still included in various directory books of trade. The same went to PT Usaha Perkembangan Banteng, although the fate of its employees was completely uncertain and none of the employees salary was paid.

Ipilo was shut down in 1970. According to Kwik Kian Gie, Ipilo went bankrupt after the tightening of the regulations that govern Indonesia's exporters and the export-import activities. "Indonesian trade has regained its credibility. I returned to Indonesia and reside here until today," recalled Kwik.

The End of the Tunnel

While Markam finally breathed the air of freedom and returned to the business world, Bram Tambunan was still in his hideout abroad. 

At the end of November 1975, President Soeharto ordered Kopkamtib and Teperpu to reinvestigate Bram Tambunan's case. Bram was accused of manipulation in order to clear his way in importing the tires, and because of that, as reported by Memori Masa Bhakti Volume 7, "his personal assets were expropriated by the government."

In 1977, Bram was reported to have returned to Indonesia. That news was coming from Markam who had successfully established PT Marjaya and fostered a close association with Golkar. "Aslam is free now, and Bram is already in Indonesia," said Markam as cited by Sinar Harapanon on 13 April 1977.

However, Markam had a cynical view of his two fellow friends, noting that they didn't have the guts to recover from their downfall, unlike him. "Aslam and Bram are too fainthearted. They shouldn't be. We're merchants, not politicians," said Markam, "Look, Bram wasn't even brave enough to stay in Jakarta. It's a shame."

<div class="flex-content-podcast"><figure class="img-left"><div><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/62a98bbe029d87dba7278bb5_Intersection-9.jpg" alt="img"></div><figcaption>The tombstone of Ibrahim “Bram” Tambunan in TPU Karet Bivak. (Fernando Randy/Historia.ID).</figcaption></figure><div class="img-right"><div class="podcast-container"><img alt="person" class="entered loaded" data-ll-status="loaded" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61af270884f7a0580d35618e/62a98bc79a8a9842fc607c35_Intersection-10.jpg"><div class="audio-podcast"><audio controls controlsList="nodownload"><source src="url_mp3" type="audio/mpeg">Your browser does not support the audio element.</audio></div></div><div class="caption"><span><b>Ahmad Zae Juli.</b><br>Perawat makam keluarga Tambunan. (Fernando Randy/Historia.ID).</span></div></div></div>

That was the only news that was circulating about Bram Tambunan. Kwik Kian Gie revealed that Bram Tambunan was never detained nor given criminal punishment. "He was never detained and tried. Not even once," said Kwik.

The trace of Bram Tambunan simply vanished. It was later known that the ownership of his assets had changed. The residence of Jasin Tambunan's family at Jalan Sawah Besar 47 that is now a part of Pasar Sawah Besar area, didn't exist anymore. The headquarters of Mohd. Jasin Tambunan & Sons firm at Jalan Roa Malaka Selatan 12-14 had turned into Bumi Arta Bank. Meanwhile, the office of PT Ipilo and PT Sinar Pagi located at Jalan Gajah Mada 176 Jakarta is now the building of PT Sumber Mesin Raya, a company that supplies construction equipment.   

What is left from Bram Tambunan is his tombstone at Karet Bivak Cemetery, on which was engraved: Bram Tambunan, died 25 December 1996. He was buried very close to his father's and other siblings' graves.

Entombed along with him is the success story of a tycoon hailed as "the King of Tire" who also happened to be the closest ally of Indonesia's first president Sukarno.