Kiki Siregar, Bulungan, Indonesia – In the middle of North Kalimantan's lush forest, a helicopter touched down on May 30, bearing a special guest as it blew dust into the eyes of nearby security personnel.
Dressed in a green and blue batik shirt, business tycoon and younger brother of incoming president Prabowo Subianto, Mr Hashim Djojohadikusumo, landed in Bulungan regency with big plans.
Visiting the site of the planned Kayan Cascade, Mr Hashim expressed interest in investing in the project that could be Southeast Asia's largest hydropower station after its planned completion date in 2035.
It aims to have a capacity of 9,000 megawatts by relying on the water of the Kayan river, one of Kalimantan's biggest rivers.
"This project will not only provide a clean and sustainable energy source but will also encourage local economic growth and provide major benefits to the surrounding community," Mr Hashim said to reporters on his visit.
"I've been interested in investing in renewable, green energy for a while," he added. "This clean, green energy project is what the world is after. I hope all parties will support this very strategic project."
Once completed, the hydropower plant is slated to provide electricity not only to people in North Kalimantan but also to Indonesia's planned new capital, Nusantara, in eastern Kalimantan, some 430km away.
PT Kayan Hydro Energy, the company behind the project, is looking for investors for the US$17.8 billion initiative, following withdrawals from international partners, China Power and Sumitomo.
Chinese state-owned enterprise China Power's withdrawal was due to pandemic-related restrictions, while the termination of Japanese trading company Sumimoto's relationship with PT Kayan Hydro Energy was announced in May.
Mr Hashim is an old friend of the owner of PT Kayan Hydro Energy, Mr Tjandra Limanjaya. He made reference to this connection during his site visit, saying he had confidence in the project because it is owned by his friend.
However, given his family ties, experts caution that there may be a conflict of interest in Mr Hashim's desire to expand his business portfolio.
They warn that if not carefully managed, Mr Hashim and other members of Mr Prabowo's family may risk abusing power.
"The potential of an abuse of power is very high," said Mr Yoes Kenawas, an expert on dynasty politics from Jakarta's Atma Jaya University. "Business intertwined with politics will usually create an oligarchy."
He believes the family will become even more powerful once Mr Prabowo becomes Indonesia's eighth president on Oct 20.
When CNA asked him in Bulungan whether his brother knew of his intention to invest in the Kayan Cascade hydropower project, Mr Hashim confirmed he had spoken to Mr Prabowo about his plans.
"Yes, I've told him," Mr Hashim told CNA. "He agrees because this is an investment," he highlighted.
Who is Mr Hashim?
As the owner of Arsari Group, a company operating in mining, agribusiness and renewable energy, Mr Hashim's estimated wealth is about 10 trillion rupiah (US$609 million). According to Forbes, he was one of the country's richest people in 2020.
The 70-year-old is also the youngest sibling and only brother of Mr Prabowo, 72. They have two elder sisters, Mdm Biantiningsih Miderawati Djiwandono, 76, and Mdm Maryani Ekowati Lemaistre, 74.
The siblings are all the children of the late Mr Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, who is regarded as one of Indonesia's most influential economists and politicians.
He held several ministerial positions under founding father and first president Sukarno and second president Suharto.
The siblings' grandfather, Mr Margono Djojohadikusumo was also a renowned economist, having established one of the country's biggest state-owned enterprises Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) in 1946, just a year after Indonesia's independence.
While Mr Prabowo, currently defence minister, is better known as a retired army general and politician, having founded his own political party Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) in 2008, Mr Hashim has been a dedicated businessman his entire life, with a career history in banking and various other sectors.
His businesses collapsed during the late nineties but he managed to successfully rebuild his ventures.
However, he is also a member of his brother's Gerindra party. Mr Hashim serves as the deputy chairman of the board of trustees and was instrumental in Mr Prabowo's presidential campaigns in 2014, 2019 and earlier this year.
Analysts CNA spoke to pointed out that the sibling relationship could blur the lines between business and politics.
"He is the banker of Prabowo," said Mr Yoes. He pointed out that Mr Hashim had funded Mr Prabowo's campaigns and spent a lot on them.
Apart from showing interest in the Kayan Cascade hydropower project, which aims to help the government hit its current target of having renewables make up 23 per cent of Indonesia's energy mix by 2025, Mr Hashim built a tin factory in Batam under PT Solder Tin Andalan Indonesia in May.
"The company will produce 200 tonnes of tin solder powder per year, and will increase it to 16,000 tonnes with a turnover of 1.2 trillion rupiah per year," said Mr Hashim on May 10.
He said it would support current president Joko Widodo's downstream programme, which aims to produce raw commodities locally for higher added value before they are exported.
Mr Hashim said Mr Prabowo would continue the downstreaming project. "Downstreaming will provide added value to our economy," he said at the site visit.
Political aristocrats
The Djojohadikusumos, descendants of Javanese nobility, are not just commercially powerful but also political aristocrats, said an expert.
"They are like the Kennedy and Bush families in the US", said Mr Nicky Fahrizal, a political analyst from the think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Mr Prabowo's nephews from his sister Mdm Biantiningsih are also influential Gerindra politicians and businessmen.
Mr Budi Djiwandono, 42, is a member of parliament. Prior to his political career, he was a businessman who focused on the mining, plantations, and agriculture sectors.
His older brother Mr Thomas Djiwandono, 52, is the treasurer of Gerindra. He also once served as deputy CEO of Mr Hashim's Arsari Group.
The brothers are regarded as instrumental people in Gerindra who hold strong economic backgrounds like their father Mr Sudrajad Djiwandono, who was the governor of Indonesia's central bank under Suharto.
Meanwhile, Mr Hashim's children Ms Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, 38, and Mr Aryo Djojohadikusumo, 41, are also Gerindra politicians involved in the Arsari Group business.
Mr Nicky added that Mr Prabowo himself has even "double aristocracy" since he was once married to Suharto's daughter Mdm Titiek Suharto. But their marriage ended shortly after Suharto's fall from power in 1998.
Together, they have a son, Mr Didit Hediprasetyo Djojohadikusumo, 40, who has chosen the world of fashion design over politics.
Experts noted that the influence of Mr Prabowo's family raised certain risks. For example, they say, people outside of the family may not have equal business opportunities, or policies may be created in favour of businesses the family has an interest in.
Mr Timer Manurung, director of Auriga Nusantara, a research institute focusing on environmental conservation, said that in the past, policies have been created that favour business people serving in the government.
Despite concerns from some experts that the electronic vehicle and mining industry in Indonesia may not meet environmental, social and governance standards, the government has created policies for these industries to thrive, allowing some officials to benefit from the situation, opined Mr Timer.
He noted for example that Mr Moeldoko, presidential chief of staff and former military chief, ventured into the electronic vehicle sector while coordinating minister for maritime and investment affairs Luhut Pandjaitan has businesses in the mining and energy industry.
The right to be a public servant
While experts noted that the family's business may make them vulnerable to abuse of power, Mr Timer stated they have the right to pursue positions as public servants.
Indonesia currently does not have policies regulating how business should be separated from politics, which, so far, enables ministers to have commercial interests such as their own businesses.
"What we need is very clear rules to differentiate things (between business and political interests)," said Mr Timber. "This is an urgent need for his family to prevent unwanted things."
Meanwhile, economist Andry Satrio Nugroho from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) said one way to prevent an abuse of power is when Mr Prabowo forms his Cabinet, key economic positions should be awarded by merit to those technically skilled and suited to the role, with no outside business interests.
"Posts such as the finance minister and the economy minister should not be taken by politicians if possible. Because hopefully, that will provide confidence to the public and the market (that there is no conflict of interests)," he added.
At the end of the day, political analysts Mr Yoes and Mr Nicky concluded that the public needs to be more critical and continuously monitor the political landscape.
"There needs to be public support to monitor every process, including NGOs and business people," said Mr Yoes.