TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Senior Tempo journalist Ahmad Taufik (52) passed away on Thursday, March 23, 2017. Taufik passed away at Medistra hospital after suffering from lung cancer. Taufik’s funeral will be held on Friday, March 24, 2017 at the Karet Bivak Public Cemetary.

President Director of PT Tempo Inti Media Toriq Hadad said that the news was shocking. Toriq said that he had visited Taufik while he was treated at Dharmais Hospital. Toriq stated that Taufiq was showing no apparent changes during the course of his treatment.

"He just joke around just like he used to be, he did not want people who visited him to be sad," Toriq said on Thursday, March 23, 2017.

Ahmad Taufik was one of the founders of the Indonesian Journalist Alliances (AJI). Taufik and two of his friends Eko Maryadi and Danang Kukuh Wardoyo was sent to prison back on March 1995, during the new order era, for establishing AJI. Taufik was imprisoned for three years.

Taufik joined Tempo Magazine since 1989 until the magazine was taken down on 1994. Taufik rejoined Tempo after the magazine was republished in 1998. At that time, Taufik was working as the Jakarta Bureau Chief. Later in the future, Taufik was working as the Chief of Regional and Foreign Bureau, editorial staff for legal and criminality column, and as an editorial staff for political affairs.

During his time as a journalist, Taufik also managed to win a number of awards for his professionalism. Taufik won the Tasrief Award during the Indonesia Press Freedom Award event in 1985. Ten years later, Taufik won the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

A year later, in 1996, Taufik won the Digul Award, and in 1998, Taufik won the Hellmann/Hammet award from the American Writer, New York.

ARKHELAUS W. | DEWI