Government Seizes Rp38 Trillion Treasure, Discoverer Left Impoverished

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The story of Mat Sam, a diamond panner from Cempaka Village, South Kalimantan, is perhaps an anomaly. Unlike others who become wealthy after discovering treasure, Mat Sam lived in misery. This, despite him finding the largest treasure in history, now valued at Rp38 trillion. How could this happen? Mat Sam’s tragic tale began on Thursday, 26 August 1965. That day, Mat Sam and four friends were working, searching for diamonds. During their search, they accidentally found a very large diamond. Mat Sam testified that the diamond was very clean and bluish-red in colour. The discovery caused a sensation, which years later Mat Sam would deeply regret. Upon investigation, the diamond Mat Sam found turned out to be the largest in history, weighing 166.75 carats. ‘Its price is estimated to be no less than tens of billions of rupiah, because the diamond is only slightly smaller than the Kohinoor, which adorns the British Royal Crown,’ wrote the newspaper Pikiran Rakjat (31 August 1965). After going viral, Mat Sam’s name became famous. Everyone assumed he would become immensely wealthy for discovering such a huge treasure. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The diamond did not become his property; instead, it was taken by the government. The newspaper Angkatan Bersenjata (11 September 1967) wrote that the diamond was secured by the Banjar Regency Pantjatunggal and taken to Jakarta to be presented to President Soekarno. According to the newspaper, this process ‘contradicted the wishes of the discoverers/owners.’ In the reporting of Pikiran Rakjat (31 August 1965), the 166.75-carat diamond was to be used to develop South Kalimantan and to purchase excavation technology to increase diamond production. In return, the president would reward Mat Sam and his four friends with a free Hajj pilgrimage. ‘The diamond digger and his four friends, along with their wives, are given priority to perform the Hajj pilgrimage,’ wrote the Pikiran Rakjat reporter. Clearly, this news made Mat Sam extremely happy. Soon he would be able to perform the Hajj for free, a gift from the government. However, that joy was only momentary. The reward from the government never arrived. Two years later, Mat Sam and his four friends finally dared to speak out. As the discoverers of the largest diamond, they pleaded for justice and asked the government to fulfil its promise. According to a Kompas report (11 September 1967), the discoverers were living in dire poverty. ‘[They are] the first discoverers/owners who currently live in deprivation and have never tasted the true enjoyment of their discovery,’ Kompas wrote. Moreover, the 166.75-carat diamond was known to be worth Rp3.5 billion or around US$248,000. According to the daily Nusantara (15 August 1967), the price of gold in 1967 was Rp230 per gram. This means Rp3.5 billion could buy 15,217,315 grams of gold. When converted to present-day values based on 2026 gold prices, the diamond worth Rp3.5 billion is now valued at Rp38.04 trillion. It is truly fantastic. Understandably, Mat Sam spoke out and pleaded for justice. If the government had not taken it, he would now be a billionaire and not living in poverty. Mat Sam’s plea was conveyed through his legal counsel and forwarded to the Presidium of the Ampera Cabinet, namely General Soeharto. ‘Hoping the government can review this matter for the sake of upholding justice and truth,’ said the legal team, as quoted by Kompas. However, it remains unknown whether Mat Sam’s plea for justice was ever processed by the government, as there is no further historical record.