Jokowi Buys Hemart Cooking Oil In Yogyakarta, Products Owned By Conglomerate Brother Bachtiar Karim, This Mother Wants To Return 'Excess' Money

Jokowi when visiting a traditional market in Yogyakarta. (Capture via the Presidential Secretariat YT Channel)

JAKARTA - There is an interesting story when President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) directly checked the availability of cooking oil at traders in Beringharjo Market and Sentul Market Yogyakarta on Sunday, March 13. In both markets, the President found prices that varied, ranging from Rp. 14,000 per liter to Rp. 20,000 per liter.

Jokowi then bought two bottles of Hemart brand cooking oil. He then paid for the cooking oil with several IDR 100 thousand bills.

"Thank you Pak Jokowi," said this man.

Then Jokowi moved to another place. There was a woman wearing a white mask with blue batik. Jokowi seemed to have quite a serious conversation with the mother.

Jokowi bought another Hemart brand of cooking oil. There were several bottles that he bought. Then Jokowi again reached for money from the pocket of his black pants on the right. The mother gave some of the Rp. 100,000 bills.

And, the mother, who felt too much with Jokowi's gift, tried to return it. However, the president refused. The mother had tried to return it several times, but Jokowi always refused.

For information, Hemart brand cooking oil is produced by PT Bina Karya Utama. Launching various sources, Bina Karya Utama has several superior products, such as Tropical cooking oil, and margarine forVITA.

Meanwhile, Bina Karya Utama is a distributor and supplier of basic ingredients such as sugar, packaged cooking oil, wheat flour, packaged drinks, and seasonings.

Bina Karya Prima was built in 1981. Several BKP products that are commonly found in the market besides Tropical and forVITA, are Shinzui and Zen soaps.

BKP itself was founded by Bachrum Karim who is the younger brother of Bachtiar Karim, the owner of the Musim Mas Group. Musim Mas has been around since 1972, where the originator was Bachtiar Karim's father, namely Anwar Karim.

Musim Mas Group continues to grow and prosper and is continued by the children of Anwar Karim. However, Bachrum Karim chose to start his own business in the cooking oil industry, by establishing PT Bina Karya Prima which produces the leading brand of cooking oil, Tropical.

Bachtiar Karim and his family are the 10 richest people in Indonesia according to Forbes as of December 2021. Bachtiar Karim's wealth reaches US$3.8 billion or around Rp. 54.3 trillion.