Guess What? Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman

Guess What? Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman

Imagine Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman
among a gaggle of journalists jostling for a precious quote.

Hard to envision, perhaps, but true. "I may not look like it,
but I was once a journalist," he said last Wednesday.

He claimed he was quite familiar with what goes on in the
newsroom after a stint at the Bandung-based Pikiran Rakyat in the
1960s.

Describing the newsroom hierarchy from journalists to chief
editors, he said he understood how reports sometimes got changed
from the original text.

During a tour of The Jakarta Post, he got a glimpse of
cluttered desks. "So this is the workplace of professionals," the
48-year-old commander quipped.

Over the years, Djadja has maintained close ties with the
media, particularly after he was installed as the Brawijaya
military commander overseeing East Java in August last year.

There, he said, he held discussions each week with media
representatives. He replaced housewife heartthrob Sjafrie
Syamsuddin as the commander for the capital in July.

After the Post tour, Djadja walked to the neighboring Kompas
daily to inspect their operations. (ivy)