No news is good news for tycoon ‘Bob’

Business tycoon Mohamad Hasan is one of the most talked-about men in Indonesia with his massive deals and close links with President Suharto.

But he does not seem to like too much of the spotlight.

“No news is good news for me,” the 66-year-old Indonesian-Chinese businessman told The Sunday Times recently.

He said that in business and in other professions, keeping a low profile and staying out of the news was sometimes a much better way to get results.

“But I guess for all of you reporters, no news is always bad news,” he said.

Mr Hasan, more popularly known as “Bob”, entered business as early as 1958 and is reported to control a wide range of business activities from timber to cars.