Sjam Kamaruzaman bin Ahmad Mubaidah, was born in Tuban, East Java, around 1924. He joined the Communist Party in the 1940s. Sjam’s position in the PKI is a source of contention. He was head of a Special Bureau created in 1964, which focused on gathering military intelligence and recruiting for the military wing of the party. The New Order regime portrayed the Special Bureau as an unusual communist operation but this practice of gathering military intelligence was also common for other parties. The Special Bureau reported only to Aidit and was not officially part of the PKI. According to Roosa, Sjam played a central role in devising the plans for the 30 September Movement. (Roosa, 2006: 119-127).

ROOSA, John, 2006, Pretext for Mass Murder: the September 30th Movement and Suharto’s coup d’état in Indonesia, Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press.