For , Soedjai was more than a historical figure. Since 2009, during the early days of as a pioneering palm oil media outlet, he had been a thoughtful interlocutor—calm, sharp, and always forward-looking.

Born in Cipari, Cilacap, nearly a century ago, Soedjai’s life evolved alongside Indonesia’s plantation sector. His experience spanned rubber, tea, and palm oil, earning him recognition as a pioneer of the oil palm plasma scheme, a concept that later reshaped relationships between companies and farmers.

Age never dulled his curiosity. Every morning, he followed market movements of CPO, cocoa, and rubber—an embodiment of the philosophy he often shared: people must continuously look ahead and renew their knowledge.

His long career placed him at the helm of numerous plantation enterprises, making him widely respected among bureaucrats, researchers, and business leaders domestically and abroad. Yet, he remained critical of Indonesia’s modern education system, believing character-based learning during the colonial era had shaped his success.

Beginning his career in 1950 at Dutch-owned rubber estates in Garut, Soedjai later moved across Sumatra amid security challenges, eventually rising through leadership roles following Indonesia’s plantation nationalisation. His pivotal role in PTP VI marked the start of Indonesia’s modern palm oil expansion.

Among his lasting legacies was the plasma programme initiated in the early 1970s, engaging hundreds of households and later expanding through the OPHIR scheme. Backed by the World Bank and the German government, OPHIR became one of Indonesia’s most successful smallholder development programmes.

Though he has passed, Soedjai Kartasasmita’s ideas and values continue to shape Indonesia’s palm oil landscape—across plantations, mills, and generations he inspired to keep looking forward.