Power to the people
omeone wise once said: “Knowledge will give you power, but character will give you respect.” I couldn’t agree more, which brings us nicely to this January edition of Indonesia Tatler. This month, we talk to a collection of individuals, all of whom ooze power, knowledge and character. Let’s take Hajj Anif as a prime example. This captain of industry is all about hard work, but he’s no tyrant. His employees would testify, I’m sure, to his sincere and caring disposition. And alongside his Haji Anif Foundation and the Anugerah Pendidikan Indonesia Foundation, Hajj has set up many schools around Medan, and he pays teachers and provides scholarships to needy students. Turn inside for more stories about the people in power we respect and admire.
Our cover story this month is a relaxed chat with the charming Shinta Kamdani, who has had to do everything in her power and more to prove to herself and her parents that she had what it took to lead the family company. Despite being born into a family of entrepreneurs, the third-generation heir started her illustrious career at the very bottom. Today, Shinta is the CEO of Sintesa Group, a conglomerate of 17 distinct companies unified under one banner by Shinta herself. One for very much sharing the wealth that is knowledge and power, Shinta tells us all about her passion for helping out young entrepreneurs.
Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find a wealth of stories, such as our Spotlight article on the recent concert held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Luciano Pavarotti. In “Luciano For Indonesia”, we focus on the concert, held last November, at which classics like “Nessum Dorma” and “O Sole Mio” were performed by young operatic singers from the Fondazione Luciano Pavarotti. The foundation was established to preserve fond memories of the tenor and also to support the next generation of young singers.
If music be the food of love, then look no further than Pantai Indah Kapuk and Sainé Daise Bistro, where we headed with Tusyana Suryadi and her lovely daughter for a delicious dining experience. Meanwhile, we travel to the elegant Imperial Palace Tokyo and to the storied European city of Bruges (or Brugge for linguistic purists) for our tourism fix. It only remains for me to say, from all the Indonesia Tatler and Mobiliari Group teams, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2018.
Happy New Year!