TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Post media chief Endy Bayuni was shocked when he heard the news about the passing of the former Ambassador for Australia Sabam Siagian. For Endy, Sabam will be forever his memorable loving mentor. "He is my mentor, [because of him] I could fill in his position now years later," said Endy on Friday, June 3, 2016.
Sabam was the first editor-in-chief of Jakarta Post to be interviewing Endy when Endy was proposing to be a reporter for the news agency. "My mentor had high integrity as a reporter," he reckoned.
Endy recalled Sabam as a very perfectionist man. Even when Sabam had important matters to do outside of working hours, he will always return to the office, delaying the newspaper printing which is always started at 24:00, to check whether the headline or articles have any fault before publishing it. "Eventually he would changed only a line or a paragraph," Endy said.
Sabam was also a man who acknowledged the importance of history and prioritize it. He always comparing the recent events with yesteryear`s events before writing something. "It is a rare thing now for a journalist to write things from a historical perspective."
Sabam Pandapotan Siagian passed away of age 84 years due to the complication of his diabetic illness. "This last year, my father had dialysis treatment three times in a week," explained Sabam`s eldest son, Tagor Malasak Siagian, when contacted.
Tagor then proceed to explain that this week, Sabam should had the dialysis treatment again, but his condition was so weak at the times so the procedure was put on hold. "The toxic which should had been extracted stayed inside his body which weakened him to a very poor state," said Tagor. Sabam, who died on Friday 16:25 local time, left a wife and two sons.
Sabam`s body was rested at his home, Jalan Anggur Barat II No.2, South Cipete, South Jakarta. The owner of the Jasa Utama star will be buried in Sunday evening, waiting for his other son to come from Singapore. "We will try to make our father to be buried at the Heroes Cemetery," said Tagor, when he was talking with Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi. According to Tagor, when Sabam became an ambassador for Australia, Retno was Sabam`s head of information.
MITRA TARIGAN
