Sukanto Tanoto is Not Loyal to his Brother and Indonesia

Family Photo taken in 1st Apr, 1994. Polar and Barbara on the left. Tinah and Sukanto on the right.

My name is Barbara Tanoto. I am the wife of Polar Yanto Tanoto, the sister-in-law of Sukanto Tanoto, and the mother of 4 children: Lina, James, Wendy, and Katherine. 2 years ago, my daughter, Wendy, with the whole family’s consent, started this blog. At first I was skeptical about its effect since I had encountered so many obstacles throughout my way due to Sukanto’s tyranny. However, after 2 years, I learned that I was wrong. Indonesia, widely seen as an economics with high potential by many investors, is quickly revolving. I sensed that the voice of justice could be heard. More and more people are standing up for their rights.

All of these gave me power, and the courage to give details of my story, by myself. This is why I decided to start this series. From now on, I would start sharing my fight with Sukanto. The only reason for me to do so is to convey a message: that whenever you face injustice, never be afraid of telling the truth. Because only the truth can get resonance from the society. Lies are temporary but truths are eternal. I hope all of you feel the same way as I do.

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Family Photo taken in 17th Jun, 1988. Tinah on the left. Barbara on the right.

I was not surprised when Sukanto said that he did not recognize Indonesia as his real father. This statement reflects his characters perfectly. Like how he betrayed my husband, his biological brother and 30-year business partner, Polar Yanto Tanoto, after his sudden death in GA152 air crash 19 years ago. Even today, all of the memories are still fresh to me. I would never forget the day. The day I accepted the fact that Sukanto, whom my husband Polar dearly trusted, kicked me out of the Singapore office.

Shortly after my husband’s funeral, Sukanto sent his agent to ask me to sign a wide power of attorney to give up me and my four children’s rights to him. Sukanto’s agent explained the power of attorney so lightly that I could not understand why it was so necessary for me to sign the document soon after my husband passed away. I told Sukanto’s agent that I did not need anyone to represent me and my kids because I could sign the documents that this power of attorney applicable for by myself. She could just bring those documents to me.

The punishments of my response to the wide power of attorney arrived shortly. All of my finances were stopped by Sukanto and Tinah, Sukanto’s wife. The company insisted to remove our family’s cars from us for some bizarre security reasons that did not make sense. My sister-in-law, Tinah came to my house and asked me to turn in the keys of my own houses, claiming that the properties belonged to the company, and that they were going to turn our family houses into employee dormitory. I still did not understand how it was possible for one to turn other people’s properties into their own, unless Sukanto was above Indonesian Law. I did not give her the keys because I was the person signing the contract when we bought the land, so I was well aware to whom the land belonged to. However, I was completely shocked by her actions. This was something I have never experienced before.

Several Polar’s employees advised me to talk to Sukanto directly to sort out the problems and claim firmly the rights of what belong to me and my children. After several contemplation – for at that time I still could not believe a person my husband trusted so much had chose to betray us, I finally decided to make a move.

December, 1997, 3 months after my husband’s passed away. I was finally able to schedule a meeting with Sukanto at 9am in the Singapore office. He had been avoiding me and insisted that we should talk after I sign the wide power of attorney his agent brought to me. 8:45am in the morning, the business district in Singapore was full of people going to work. I stood in front of The Octagon on 105 Cecil Street. It was one of the busiest business districts in Singapore. Many workers rushed into different high-rises around me to work, some talking intensively on their phones. I had lost 25 pounds since my husband passed away. I remembered I was so thin that I could barely hold up my blue suit. The outfit was designed to make a woman look strong, but the sunken fabric could only show that there was a vulnerable woman about to find out the cruel fact in front of her. My mother was standing next to me. She went with me because she was worried. I, a widow and a housewife with red eyes on my way to meet with my brother-in-law and my husband’s business partner to negotiate about my husband’s assets.

The reception lady led me to the meeting room located on 15th floor.  Sukanto was already waiting, accompanied by Valerie, the company’s senior legal advisor and Mr. Chang, a young lawyer in his twenties from Khattar Wong LLP, one of the top law firms in Singapore. My mother and I was arranged to sit right across the table from Sukanto. He was wearing a usual white shirt and his face expression was so clear to me; it was the meanest look that I had never seen from him when Polar was alive.

Once we managed to sit down, Sukanto bursted out, “What do you want to talk to me about? Do you want to talk about Polar’s shares? Who are you? Polar’s shares belong to the Tanoto family. You are not a Tanoto. How could you talk to me about Polar’s shares? If you want to get Polar’s shares, let’s see who have the bigger balls, who have more bullets! Don’t bite off more than you can chew. I only see you as the nanny of the four children. I see you not more than that. ” Then, Sukanto went ahead and said “You are born with bad luck. You caused Polar’s death.” I sat there, stunned. I could not believe what I just heard. For a widow who just lost her husband, it was the worst thing she could possibly hear – that the death of her loved one was because of her, and that it was not even something she had control about. I started weeping, being attacked by those words, which basically assembled a curse, and heartlessly stroke on a woman, again and again, just because of a person’s greed.

Not that I believed what he said. But I was imagining how Polar would feel if he were present, seeing his brother and his business partner that he trusted so much was using those malicious words to attack his wife. My vision was completely blurred by my tears, and I could not see anyone’s faces clearly anymore. Finally, he said “Get out of here. I don’t want to see you in the office anymore. I’m going to tell all of the employees to never talk to you. ”  I was so humiliated and shocked that I just stood up and walked out of the meeting room with my mother.

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I lost all of my respect to my brother-in-laws, Sukanto after that day. Throughout my marriage, I saw all of the hard work and devotion my husband put into the company. I knew, and could proudly say that without my husband, Polar, Sukanto would never be where he is today. My husband helped tremendously to build APRIL , Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper and PT Toba Pulp Lestari, and those companies remained to be Sukanto’s most profitable businesses 19 years after my husband’s death. I was also sad to see how poorly managed those companies are today. Things my husband would never want the company to become. Sukanto, not only maliciously attacked Polar’s wife, had also insulted his vision to the company.

Until today, Sukanto’s shouting face was still in my head clearly.

Did my husband’s shares ever got redeemed? No. Is my family safe from the stalkers that Sukanto sent? No.

Am I surprised that Sukanto view Indonesia as his step father? No, not at all. Sukanto is not even loyal to his biological brother, how can he be loyal to his country? Sukanto is simply a man with no loyalty. Me and my kids witnessed and experienced how he threw Polar like a piece of trash after his death.

I’m speaking out on behalf of my late husband, Polar who passed away in 1997. “He would say, ‘Barbara, do this for me…let Indonesia know what kind of man he is.”