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Senior journo Herawati Diah passes away
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A repro of a book, titled An Endless Journey, written by senior journalist Siti Latifah Herawati Diah (Antara/File)
Senior journalist Siti Latifah Herawati Diah passed away at Medistra Hospital in Jakarta on Friday morning at the age of 99.
Born in Tanjung Pandan, Belitung, on April 3, 1917, Herawati was the wife of late media figure Burhanuddin Muhammad Diah, who once worked at Asia Raya newspaper. Along with her husband, who was later appointed information minister in then president Sukarno's Cabinet, Herawati founded Harian Merdeka daily at the height of Indonesia's struggle to maintain independence. They also founded Mingguan Merdeka weekly in 1947, Majalah Keluarga magazine in 1952, the Indonesian Observer English newspaper in 1955 and Topik news magazine in 1972 under the umbrella of Merdeka Group.
Herawati studied at the Europeesche Lagere School in Salemba, Central Jakarta. She later went to the American High School in Tokyo and studied sociology at Barnard College, Columbia University and Berkeley University in California, the US.
In 1942, Herawati returned to Indonesia and worked as a freelance reporter for the United Press International news wire before joining Hosokyoku radio.
She earned recognition from then education minister Anies Baswedan for her contribution to promoting United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization programs in Indonesia.
She will be buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta after Friday prayers.(dmr)
