Bob Hasan reelected as PASI chairman
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Timber tycoon and corruption convict Mohammad "Bob" Hasan, who last week was released from a maximum security prison, was reelected for the seventh straight time since 1982 as chairman of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) on Wednesday.
He was released on parole last Friday after serving two-thirds of his six-year prison sentence for misusing US$75 million in funds belonging to the ministry of forestry.
The 73-year-old former Minister of Industry during the Soeharto era promised to continue to develop local track and field.
He said that he would start by scouting for local talent in every province and provide dozens with scholarships.
"We need new blood in our programs," he announced after the association's congress.
Speaking more specifically about his programs, Bob said that PASI would search for 10 promising male and female athletes from each of the 32 provinces across the country.
A yearly subsidy of Rp 6 million ($705) would be provided for each of them, mostly for improved nutrition.
Bob said that PASI had already gotten a commitment from giant state-owned Bank Mandiri, which would give financial assistance to the athletes, and he promised that other partners would follow in the near future.
"We will look for young talent with a minimum height of 170 centimeters. (5 foot 8 inches) We should certainly be able to compete with other sports such as basketball, volleyball and tennis (for tall athletes)," he said, adding that PASI would organize more track meets, particularly for high school students.
He said that his other focus would be to find more talent in the sprints.
According to Hasan, a good sprinter could also become a good contender in other events like the jumps, hurdles and pole vault.
"(Men's) world champions in the pole vault and long jump can often run as fast as a 10.1 seconds for the 100-meter dash," he said.
Hasan, a former chairman of the Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association, was sentenced to two years in prison by the Central Jakarta District Court after he was found guilty of misusing government funds. He was also ordered to pay a Rp 15 million fine and return Rp 14.1 billion to the state.
He appealed the verdict with the Jakarta High Court, and as a result was sentenced to six years in prison and had to pay compensation of some US$243.7 million. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court.
In March 2001, the late Baharuddin Lopa, who at the time was former minister of justice and human rights, sent him to Nusakambangan penitentiary in Central Java "to deter other corruptors".