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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