We are deeply saddened to have been informed that Tanri Abeng, Global Leadership Board member former Indonesian State-Owned Enterprise Minister, has recently passed away in Jakarta. The text of his obituary as published in the Jakarta Globe can be found below:
Former State-Owned Enterprise Minister Tanri Abeng passed away early Sunday while receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Jakarta. He was 82 years old.
Tanri was the first-ever minister responsible for managing state-owned companies in Indonesia. He joined the cabinet as a businessman during the final year of the Soeharto presidency in 1998 and continued his role under interim President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie in 1999.
His primary task was to reform the management of more than 150 SOEs, aiming to make them "more professional and less political" as many strategic state-owned companies had served as ATMs for politicians.
After his ministerial tenure, Tanri served as a commissioner for several state-owned companies, including the telecommunications company Telkom, the energy company Pertamina, and the pharmaceutical company Bio Farma.
"Mr. Tanri Abeng was a national figure who made a significant contribution to this nation," State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir wrote in an Instagram post.
He was buried in the afternoon at Tanri Abeng University, which he founded in March 2011, in South Jakarta.
We offer our deepest condolences to Tanri’s family, friends, and community.
Rest in peace, Tanri. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to the US-Asia Institute.
