After graduating from the Riau University’s Faculty of Teacher Training and Education in 1987, he worked as a journalist for the following nineteen years (including at Kompas, a major national daily). He has published two novels and three collections of poetry, one of which, tersebab aku melayu (because i’m a malay, 2010) was shortlisted for the Khatulistiwa Literary Award. The Riau Arts Council designated him a Guardian of Artistic Tradition (Seniman Pemangku Negeri) in 2004, and then Arts Laureate (Seniman Perdana) in 2005.