Budi Santoso Tanuwibowo

Tan Tjin Beng (Minnan Name), Chen Qing Ming (Mandarin Name)

He was an only child raised in modest circumstances. His parents did not own a house, so the family lived with his mother's older sister, who had no children of her own. His mother was one of six siblings, and his aunt was like a second mother to him. Both his aunt and mother were small business owners, one selling goods in the local market and the other out of the city, which meant family meals together were rare. Much of his childhood was spent at home with a strict and loyal housekeeper. One of the most important lessons he inherited from his mother was to live as though one's achievements were written in sand. No matter how great a person becomes, time can wash away recognition just as waves erase words written on a beach. What endures is one's good name and a trustworthy character. Drawing from Confucian teachings, he learned that being trustworthy is among the highest virtues and that life should be lived in harmony with moral principles, following what is right and avoiding what is wrong. He also believes that the Earth provides enough resources for all people; when hunger and hardship exist, the problem lies not in scarcity but in unequal distribution. This worldview emphasises responsibility in every direction: faith and accountability to God above, stewardship of nature below, respect for the legacy of ancestors behind, and a duty to preserve resources and values for the next generation

1967 - 1972 SD Negeri 31 Kalimati, Tegal; 1973 - 1975 SMP Negeri 05 Tegal; 1976 - 1979 SMA Negeri 1 Tegal; 1979 - 1984 Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Mechanization, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB); 1984 - 1986 Basic Integrated Management Module, Institut Manajemen Universitas Prasetiya Mulya; 1993 - 1995 Master's Degree in Management, majoring in International Business from Universitas Indonesia

1984 - 1994 Corporate Development at Kalbe Farma Group; 1986 – 1993 Project Chief of Business of Ensiklopedia Nasional Indonesia and President Director of PT. Cipta Adi Pusaka; 1988 – 1992 Project Chief of Business of the Science Magazines "Aha AKUTAHU" and "Dokter Keluarga"; 1989 - 1992 Editor-in-Chief of Ensiklopedia Anak Nasional; 1994 - 2012 Expert Staff, Internal Control, and Planner at Gramedia Group; 2012 - 2018 CEO of Aditya Sarana Graha Group; 2018 - 2022 Chairperson of the Clergy Council and Central Board of the Supreme Council for Confucian Religion in Indonesia (MATAKIN)

Budi is a prolific writer and activist. He also compiled and managed the publication of the 18-volume National Encyclopedia of Indonesia (ENI) and the 10-volume National Children's Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia was compiled by over 400 Indonesian scientists, scholars, and writers. He has written around 34 literary works, which include the Bertambah Bijak Setiap Hari (BBSH) trilogy: 8 x 3 = 23!, 5 Matahari, and Tuhan Sudah Pindah Alamat?; Ada Tiada - Tiada Ada; Ketika Mentari Terbit di Barat; Secangkir Kopi Kearifan 1 and 2; Jejak Sang Penerus: Renungan Bagi Calon Pemimpin and many more. He makes it a habit to write at least two short writings and poetry verses every day. Aside from literary works, Budi has also written more than 60 songs, which include organisational hymns, marches, national ballads, religious tunes, and love songs. Some songs written by Budi include Satu Abad MATAKIN, Bersatu Demi Indonesia, Mars INTI, Terima Kasih Tuhan, Pancasila Jiwaku (Khonghucu Agamaku), Gunakan Kitab Suci untuk Persahabatan, Kala Rindu Ingin Berlabuh, Zhi Ren Yong Plus (5 Suns), amongst others. A book of song lyrics written by Budi titled Lagu-Lagu Karya BST was released in June 2026

For the past three years in a row, he has been chosen to be one of the judges of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency, which selects inspiring figures from Indonesia and awards them the title of Pancasila Icon

1993 - 1998 Chairman of the Education Division of the Central Board at the Supreme Council for Confucian Religion in Indonesia (MATAKIN); 1998 - 2002 Secretary General of the Central Board at MATAKIN; 1999 - 2005 Advisor of Perhimpunan Indonesia Tionghoa (INTI); 2000 - Present Founder of Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP); President Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur, is also a founder. He has also served as General Treasurer, Honorary Chairman or Advisor of ICRP; 2002 - 2006, 2006 - 2010, General Chairman of the Central Board at MATAKIN; 2005 - 2009, 2009 - 2013, 2013 - 2017 Secretary General of INTI; 2010 - 2014 Member of the Presidium at MATAKIN, Secretary of the Clergy Council at MATAKIN; 2010 - Present Founder and Chairman of the Temple of Kong Miao, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah; 2014 - 2018 Secretary and later Head of the Clergy Council at MATAKIN; 2017 - 2021 Deputy Chairman of INTI; 2018 - 2022 Chair of Clergy Council and General Chairman of Central Board at MATAKIN; 2021 - 2025 Chair of Expert Council of INTI; 2022 - Present Chairperson of the Clergy Council and General Chairman of Central Board at MATAKIN; 2025 - 2029 Board of Supervisors of INTI; Chairman of Persatuan Xiangqi Indonesia (PEXI)

Budi has consistently held leadership positions throughout his life, excelling academically and serving in senior professional roles, including CEO, Senior Manager, and Editor-in-Chief of an encyclopedia project. He has also been repeatedly entrusted with leadership positions in various organisations, serving as Chairman, Secretary General, Treasurer, and Founder. He believes he played a meaningful role in strengthening relations between Indonesia's Chinese community and national leaders such as Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and others through his work with MATAKIN. In particular, he highlights MATAKIN's efforts in fostering dialogue and inclusion following reforms that restored cultural rights to Chinese-Indonesians, including the organisation's first Chinese New Year celebration with Gus Dur after the repeal of discriminatory policies. By order of President Gus Dur, Budi was made head of the committee for the first and second MATAKIN Chinese New Year celebrations. During the same occasion, his religion was restored to Confucianism on his national identity card

Bahasa Indonesia, English

Culinary tasting; reading biographies, history books and novels; writing; travelling; drinking coffee; singing; enjoying nature in the mountains

Throughout his life, he has experienced countless near-death experiences. These included serious traffic accidents, such as being hit by a truck, colliding with a bus in Puncak, and several high-speed driving incidents while traveling in Sumatra. He also survived a ruptured appendix, COVID-19, and multiple major surgeries that left him suspended between life and death. Despite these challenges, he has always approached life with a sense of acceptance, allowing it to unfold naturally while making the most of every opportunity. Academically, he was able to study at the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Universitas Prasetiya Mulya, and the Universitas Indonesia (UI). He was also admitted into Mensa because he possesses an IQ of 164, placing him among the top 1% of the population in terms of intellectual ability. However, he believes that intelligence alone is not enough; truly intelligent people must be able to draw conclusions and make practical decisions. His leadership journey developed organically rather than through ambition. Over the years, he was repeatedly entrusted with leadership roles by his peers. Within MATAKIN, he served as Head of Education, then Secretary General, and eventually became Chairman, a position he held for four terms. He is grateful that people consistently placed their trust in him to lead major organisations

He wants to keep writing. In the Confucian faith, there are many scriptures and values. Therefore, he wants to write as much as he is capable of, according to his belief and personal preferences. Sometimes, Budi would write about the current social and political situation in the daily news outlets. He would provide criticism, but in a polite way that is meant to encourage improvement in the way that the country is run

The main key to success is not cleverness or hard work; it is being reliable. Success comes to reliable people who can be trusted to lead and carry out what they set out to do. Budi believes leaders should be humble and down-to-earth. Having ideals and theological foundations is all well and good, but they must be grounded in reality. In addition, he believes that fortune comes from seven directions: from above through God's grace, from behind through the good name of one's parents, from ahead through innovation, from the left through knowledge and learning, from the right through relationships, from within through humility and kindness, and from below through perseverance and hard work. According to Budi, fortune is shaped by a combination of faith, character, ancestral reputation, learning, connections, and effort.

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Information available only in printed publication available in libraries.

Information available only in printed publication available in libraries.

Information available only in printed publication available in libraries.

Information available only in printed publication available in libraries.