President Soeharto's Indosat Building Inaugurated In History Today, April 3, 1989

Indosat Building on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta. (ioh.co.id)

JAKARTA History today, 34 years ago, April 3, 1989, President Suharto inaugurated the building owned by PT. Indosat. The presence of the new building was considered by Suharto as a form of Indosat's commitment to connecting the New Order (Orba) dream of uniting Indonesia through long-distance communication.

Previously, Suharto and New Order had widened the investment space in the archipelago. This openness made Indonesia's economy develop. Many foreign companies are interested in investing in Indonesia. Moreover, the New Order guarantees smooth investment.

Suharto's leadership did not want to follow the flow of the Old Order. Suharto and the New Order actually created a new flow. If the Old Order tends to move around to cooperate with the Soviet Union, then the New Order is the opposite. The owner of the power chooses to cooperate with the United States (US).

This choice makes the Indonesian economy grow. Indonesia can also build a lot. Moreover, The Smiling General fully supports the investment climate in the archipelago. The investment pack is opened as wide as possible.

Empunya kuasa turut memberikan jaminan keamanan untuk setiap investasi yang dilakukan. utama perusahaan asal AS. Keinginan perusahaan AS, International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation (ITT) berinvestasi dalam bidang telecommunications internasional, misalnya.

ITT then built PT. Indosat. Suharto also approved it in 1967. This is because the investment includes the second investment after Freeport. However, Suharto was able to predict Indosat's fate will be useful in the future for Indonesia. He also ordered the New Order to acquire Indosat in 1981.

In 1981, Suharto bought the communication tools which later became valuable national assets with difficulty from the United States. The satellite, called Suharto and Palapa, is a satellite for communication that has an operating area from Sabang to Merauke.

Palapa took the name of the Palapa Oath which was pronounced by Gajah Mada in the Majapahit era, namely his oath to unite the archipelago. Suharto boasted that this satellite was his effort to unite all of Indonesia, as well as improve Indonesia's relations with the outside world," explained Sri Bintang Pamungkas in the book Change the Regime for Change: Struggle to master the archipelago (2014).

Suharto's big dream of becoming Gajah Mada made him carry out serious development of Indosat. He did not want Indosat's office to continue riding in the Perumtel Building. He wants Indosat to operate optimally by owning its own building. Construction was carried out.

The results were only enjoyed on April 3, 1989. At that time Suharto acted to inaugurate the new Indosat building located on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Jakarta. He also signed the building inscription. Moreover, Suharto then tried to hold a long-distance meeting with the Minister of Industry, Hartarto, who was visiting the rattan industrial center in Tegalwangi, Cirebon, West Java.

Since last April 3, Indosat has a 25-story building that was built at a cost of IDR 40 billion above an area of 12,690 square meters. Previously, Indosat was riding in the Perumtel building, South Merdeka," written in a report by Warta Ekonomi Magazine entitled Profil Indosat (1989).