Ecstasy king in death row opens business from jail
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten
Capital punishment and the impenetrable walls of Tangerang Penitentiary apparently has little effect on the entrepreneurial spirit of Ang Kiem Soei, a Dutch citizen who was sentenced to death by the Tangerang District Court in January for drug trafficking.
A few days after he was convicted by the court, the 51-year- old man who was born in Fak Fak, Irian Jaya, proposed a business plan to prison warden Didin Sudirman.
Soon, there were many rumors in the air about Ang Kiem Soei -- alias Ance Tahir, alias Kim Hoo, alias Tommy Wijaya -- who was convicted for producing millions of ecstasy pills between 1999 and 2001 in his two laboratories in the Cipondoh and Karawaci districts of Tangerang municipality.
Some said that Ang Kiem could still control his drug trafficking business from behind bars; others said that he frequently left prison to follow up his illicit business.
When The Jakarta Post conducted an investigation at the penitentiary last week, several inmates confirmed that Ang Kiem sold medicinal herbs, known locally as jamu patah tulang and used to cure broken bones, in the prison.
"Everything is possible for a man like Ang Kiem. He has a lot of money," said Iwong, 29, one of more than 1,100 inmates at Tangerang Penitentiary.
He said that Ang Kiem began the herb business last month. "If you need the medicinal herbs, just ask him. He will give you some," he added.
He said that although Ang Kiem was a newcomer in the prison, he was already popular among many inmates. In addition to his skill in making ecstasy pills, Ang Kiem was also known for his ability to make medicinal herbs.
Warden Didin Sudirman, who did not allow the Post to see Ang Kiem, confirmed that the convict had proposed a plan on the herb business.
"It is true. Ang Kiem plans to produce jamu patah tulang in this prison. He had conducted a series of trials, but he failed, and we will rediscuss the plan soon," Didin said.
He said that on Jan. 27, he held a meeting with Ang Kiem Soei and Ali, a former inmate who would help supply raw materials for the production and market the products.
"But the discussion has resulted in nothing so far. We will involve several related institutions in the next discussion, since producing medicinal herbs in prison is not an easy task," he added.
The warden said that if the plan materialized, the inmates would be employed in the production process and thus, the penitentiary should invite trainers to teach inmates how to produce the medicinal herbs.
"We will also have to prepare a space in this prison for production activities," he said, adding that the penitentiary had already planted seeds for the necessary herbs.
Meanwhile, Kimung, another inmate, said it would be good if Ang Kiem Soei produced medicinal herbs in the prison.
"That activity will add to the variety of inmate activities available in this prison, and we can work and make some money," he said.
This would not be the first business to be run by inmates. In Cipinang Penitentiary of East Jakarta, the prisoners run a chicken farm and supply the poultry to KFC outlets.
The farm was established by Ricardo Gelael, a business partner of former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who were both sentenced in 2000 to 18 months imprisonment each for graft.