Cabinet Secretary Teddy Meets Business Tycoon Haji Isam: What Was Discussed?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya met with Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, alias Haji Isam, on Sunday afternoon, August 9, 2026. The meeting, held at the Cabinet Secretariat office in Central Jakarta, covered topics ranging from investment developments to downstreaming initiatives.

The meeting between Teddy and Isam was revealed through a post on the official Instagram account @sekretariat.kabinet. "During the meeting, the two discussed investment developments in the mining, downstreaming, agribusiness, energy, and logistics sectors as part of efforts to strengthen national economic growth," stated the Cabinet Secretariat's Instagram account on Monday, August 10, 2026.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat, Isam is a business figure with experience across various sectors. During the meeting, Teddy emphasized that the government continues to foster a healthy and conducive investment climate.

"[The government is also] strengthening collaboration with the business community to accelerate downstreaming, increase domestic value-added, and create more jobs," the Cabinet Secretariat wrote.

Background on Jhonlin Group

Isam is a businessman hailing from Batulicin, South Kalimantan. Born on January 1, 1977, in Bone, South Sulawesi, he is known as one of Indonesia's prominent conglomerates, with significant investments in the mining sector in Kalimantan.

Currently, the Jhonlin Group which he founded has grown into a conglomerate with diverse business lines. Beyond coal mining, the group's operations include port services, offshore loading and unloading, rubber processing, palm oil, and private jet rentals.

Haji Isam is also active in the renewable energy sector. One of its subsidiaries, PT Jhonlin Agro Raya, which operates in the biodiesel sector, was inaugurated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in 2021. Additionally, the group owns Indonesia's largest-capacity sugar mill, located in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi. This facility, operated by PT Alam Gemilang, was inaugurated by President Jokowi in 2020.

Isam is known to have a close relationship with Jokowi. Beyond Jokowi’s attendance at the inaugurations of several of his major projects, Isam also served as Deputy Treasurer for the Jokowi-Ma’ruf Amin National Campaign Team during the 2019 presidential election. Although he was once active in the National Mandate Party (PAN), he ultimately decided to resign from the party.

Eka Yudha Saputra contributed to this report

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