Subrata leaves post, replaced by Dailami

Subrata leaves post, replaced by Dailami

JAKARTA (JP): Dailami was inducted yesterday as the new
director general of press and graphic development, a key post
overseeing the development of the national press, replacing
Subrata.

Subrata, 57, was assigned as president of the government
printing office.

This is the first major post shuffle since R. Hartono replaced
Harmoko as minister of information in June.

Subrata served as director general for the last seven years of
Harmoko's 14-year service as minister of information.

Hartono, after yesterday's induction ceremony, said the change
was aimed at improving the ministry's performance. But he quickly
added that it was no slight on Subrata's record.

"He did his job well," Hartono remarked.

"But speaking generally about the ministry's performance,
today's must be better than yesterday's," he said.

Dailami was previously head of public relations at the General
Elections Institute. In 1995 he was also appointed as an expert
of political and security affairs at the Ministry of Information.

Born in Langsa, Aceh, in 1939, Dailami began working at the
North Sumatra information office in 1957.

He patiently moved up the ladder holding various positions for
the ministry in Sumatra until he was appointed head at the
Ministry of Information office in North Sumatra in 1987.

In 1989 he received his first Jakarta-based appointment as
director of building up community relations.

Dailami's appointment comes at a time when the government has
indicated its willingness to review the 1982 Press Law.

Minister Hartono remarked yesterday that Dailami had not been
assigned any specific mission, but did acknowledge the
possibility that the new director general could look into a
possible review of the press law.

"That is one of the director general's duties," he said adding
that the Press Council had submitted suggestions to review the
press law.

"Nothing is perfect," Hartono replied when asked on the
likelihood of amending the press law.

But Hartono was quick to assert that the 1984 ministerial
decree on publishing licenses would not be discussed.

"The 1984 ministerial decree will not be reviewed," he
insisted.

At yesterday's induction ceremony at the Ministry of
Information building, Hartono also installed first and second
echelon officials.

Brandan Sembiring was installed as Dailami's replacement,
while L.A. Mappeasse was appointed as an expert of information
and communications.

Earlier yesterday, Hartono at the Press Council building on
Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, conferred the annual Upholders
of Pancasila Press Awards to seven senior journalists.

The award is given to journalists whose work has helped
strengthen the Pancasila ideology since an attempted communist
coup in 1965.

The recipients of the award were the late Mahbub Djunaidi, M.
Said Budairy and M. Dharto Wahab of Duta Masyarakat daily;
Syaiful Rahim, general manager of Terbit daily; Arsal Alhabsyi of
Fajar daily in Ujungpandang; Annas Lubuk, chief editor of Haluan
daily in Padang, West Sumatra; and A. Zaiyani, chief editor of
Gema weekly newspaper in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi. (10)

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