[1] Siagian departed the Jakarta Post in 1991 upon his appointment as Ambassador of Indonesia to Australia.
He criticised the Australian media for lagging behind other sectors in Australia when it came to engaging with Indonesia.
[3] After leaving Canberra in 1995, Sabam joined the board of The Jakarta Post.
Sabam died in Jakarta on 3 June 2016 after extended health complications.
Numerous colleagues, including former Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda, paid tribute to his contributions during a long career as a journalist in Indonesia.