A Charming Trio
n photography
agung wibowo, words tyara p hansel
Apart from being a prominent businessman and political figure, Bambang Riyadi Soegomo is also a role model to his twin sons, Saladin and Sarasin—who have been working at their father’s company, the Kresna Group (its business revolves around mining, oil and gas, and logistics), since they finished their degree in Business in the United States five years ago. In the company, Saladin focuses on operational matters, Sarasin on finance. The two young gentlemen admit that their job has taken up much of their time that they have less and less leisure time to spend with their father. “We usually get home quite late in the evening, and when we do have time, the three of us usually talk about some work-related matters,” Saladin says. Sarasin echoes the same sentiment, saying that the trio spends time together mostly on weekends, dining out at their favourite restaurants or staying at home, enjoying each other’s company. Their father, Bambang, salutes the determination and positive attitude of his two sons in the professional world. “This is why I respect my children. Once they have decided on something, they’ll stick to and be consistent with it.” On a more personal note, Bambang, who enjoys cooking, sometimes shows off his
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culinary skills before his children on weekends, preparing his specialties, mainly traditional Javanese dishes, such as braised chicken in coconut milk, fried rice, and chilli paste, for his family. “But lately—I haven’t really cooked for my children, especially since they decided not to consume rice anymore,” explains Bambang. Asked the twins how they define their relationship with their father, one of them says, “It’s about respecting each other. Dad has always been a great man, a man of very few words—in the sense that he speaks concisely and chooses his words carefully.” The other son adds, “We don’t necessarily communicate with each other on a regular basis. But that fact allows us to appreciate the time we spend and the meaningful conversation we have.” On a more personal note, Saladin speaks of the admiration he has for his father, saying that he never drove all his children to believe that being a number-one at everything was the goal of life. “All he asked of us was to study and to graduate—that’s all.” Bambang smiles and adds, wrapping up the interview, “To me, religion and good education are the two most important things in life. I told the boys that if they equip themselves with those two essentials, then they’ll be able to survive anywhere in this world.”
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june 2012