Arswendo Atmowiloto (Tribunnews com)

Arswendo Atmowiloto, a senior journalist and literary figure who was once jailed by the New Order for his controversial poll, died on Friday. He is also fondly remembered for his beloved story Keluarga Cemara (Cemara’s Family).

Born in Surakarta, Central Java, on Nov. 26, 1948, as Sarwendo, Arswendo legally changed his name because he thought his birth name was not commercial enough.

Arswendo’s career in literature began in 1972 with the publication of his short story Sleko in the Bahari weekly magazine. His later works were published in a number of national publications, including Kompas and Sinar Harapan.

Arswendo’s books, including Serangan Fajar (Attack at Dawn) and Pengkhianatan G30S PKI (Betrayal of the Communists), made him a prominent figure in the Indonesian literary circle.

But it was Keluarga Cemara (Cemara’s Family) that propelled him to fame. It is a heart-warming story centering on a humble family who are doing their best to survive the trials of life.

The tales of the Cemara family were originally published in a serialization in youth magazine Hai and was later adapted into a popular television series in the late 1990s to early 2000s, and recently a movie earlier this year.

Though he is known for being a lifelong writer, Arswendo never finished his degree in literature at IKIP Solo (now Sebelas Maret University) in Surakarta, though he took part in Iowa University’s International Writing Program in 1979.

“Arswendo was a very proficient and gifted man in life, everything he did always turned out to be successful,” venerated author Sapardi Djoko Damono told The Jakarta Post.

Arswendo was also a senior journalist at Kompas daily as well as serving as chief editor of Hai magazine and the Monitor tabloid. It was also his work in Monitor that landed him in trouble with the law.

On Oct. 15, 1990, the tabloid published the “50 Figures Admired by Readers” list that put Prophet Muhammad at 11th place, below himself (No. 10) and then-president Soeharto (No. 1).

The poll garnered criticism from Islamic organizations and the public. Though he made a public apology, Arswendo was tried and sentenced to five years in prison.

“I did not know then that comparing Muhammad to other humans was blasphemous,” he testified during the judicial review of the request of the Blasphemy Law in 2010.

Songwriter and director Eros Djarot remembered Arswendo as a warm and humble figure, though noted that he could be rather sharp-tongued on things he considered to be “an affront” to common sense.

“Even to maintain that freedom of expression and opinion, he would gladly stay in prison. He was cheerful, humorous, yet critical,” Eros said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Arswendo passed away at the age of 70 in his home in South Petukangan, South Jakarta, due to prostate cancer. His funeral was held at the San Diego Hills cemetery in Karawang, West Java.

He is survived by his wife Agnes Sri Hartini and three children Sonny Wibisono, Pramudha Wardhana and Cicilia Tiara.

“To me, he is a religious person, but not in the common definition. Because he is a very special figure and God will love to see him back home,” Eros added.

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