Lightning kills senior official

JAKARTA (JP): Government officials mourned yesterday the death of Director General for International Trade Anang Fuad Rivai, who was killed by a lightening bolt while playing golf in Batam on Sunday.

Anang, survived by his wife, four children and four grandchildren, was buried in Tanah Kusir public cemetery.

Among those paying their respects at his residence in Pondok Indah were Minister of Industry and Trade Tunky Ariwibowo, State Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Soebyakto Tjakrawerdaya.

Anang, 60, died at Otorita Batam Hospital an hour after being struck by a thunderbolt at South Link Country Club golf course. Rustam Abrus, a Riau deputy governor who was playing with him, was also struck. Rustam was knocked unconscious.

Anang is particularly remembered for his role in smoothing delicate trade issues such as the national car policy in international arenas.

"He asked me to help him handle some of the mounting international trade issues," said Director General for Domestic Trade Djoko Moeljono, recounting his last meeting with Anang.

Anang was in Batam to attend an Indonesia-Malaysia meeting on cross-border trade that he was scheduled to open yesterday. The talks were canceled, Antara reported.

Born in the East Java town of Banyuwangi on April 3, 1937, Anang graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1962.

His career in the bureaucracy began when he was appointed director of the state-owned PT Semen Padang in 1970.

He was then moved to lead other state-run cement factories, PT Semen Baturaja, PT Semen Tonasa and Semen Gresik until 1994. He was appointed director general for international trade in January last year. (pan)