You could be forgiven, at first glance, for thinking that Joko Widodo was some distant relative of the US president, Barack Obama. Slender, tall, with a wide, toothy grin, and tremendously popular with his compatriots, who see clearly his potential to bring sweeping changes to the politics of his country, the parallels are numerous. But Widodo – known to millions simply as Jokowi – isn’t an American. He’s an Indonesian who has risen from poverty and obscurity to become president-elect of one of the world’s most populous countries.
Indonesia is an enormous equatorial archipelago of more than 17,000 islands extending 5,150 kilometres from west to east, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans of South East Asia. It's also, says National Geographic, the world's fourth most populous nation and is 86 per cent Muslim, which makes it the world's largest Islamic country. The country's inhabitants are separated by the seas and are clustered together on the thousands of islands; the largest cluster being on Java, which has 130 million inhabitants alone (60 per cent of Indonesia's population) on an island that National Geographic says is "the size of New York State".
To govern a country as sprawling and diverse as Indonesia is not for the faint of heart, then, and Widodo has much to prove. So many Herculean tasks for such narrow shoulders; is he the man that can really make the changes that seem to be so desperately wanted and needed by his country? Time will tell, but the world is closely watching, and the early signs are that this most modern of politicians will, if he gets his way, make Indonesia radically different, for the better.
It’s difficult to explain just how popular the man is. The market research company Roy Morgan Indonesia claims that more than 98 per cent of the Indonesians that it surveyed watch television in any given week, and, while it’s perhaps a given that the majority of news stories broadcast were from the capital Jakarta, it found that internal data from round-the-clock news stations showed that ratings surged whenever Widodo was featured, while other political items caused viewers to switch channels. His reach is clearly phenomenal.
When the Indonesian current affairs website kompas.com reported that the senior politician Amien Rais had criticised Widodo, more than 11,000 readers posted comments, apparently the highest number for a single story since the site was established back in 2008. Other politicians are, unsurprisingly, becoming wary of saying anything negative about him.
Kompas.com is widely read by urban, middle-class, “white collar” workers – the type of voters that Indonesian politicians so desperately want to appeal to, and, as the site’s editor in chief Rikard Bagun says: “He is the people’s darling, not the media’s darling. They feel he is close to the people. The media is just amplifying the people’s views.”
In stark contrast to the standoffish politics that we often see in the West, where leaders – no matter what party they represent – can seem remote and distant, unreachable and untouchable by the people that they purport to serve, Widodo gets out there, actually seeks open communication and has no problem in proclaiming a love for heavy-metal music; something that, no matter what your taste in music is, cannot help but endear him to you. Apparently he had a guitar signed by members of Metallica and has made no secret of his love for even the likes of the British “grindcore” pioneers Napalm Death. He has, he told the Indonesian heavy-metal website themetalrebel.com, been listening to heavy metal since he was 14 years old, and he’s all for championing the arts in Indonesia, swapping the business attire (it’s still mostly casual, though) of the day job for T-shirt and jeans when he’s regularly spotted at rock concerts. Just as a point of comparison, Ed Miliband, the leader of the Labour party in the United Kingdom, chose Take on Me by A-Ha as one of his Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4.
So apart from a penchant for headbanging (something that he no doubt leaves for private moments these days), what do we know about him? The man who, after being cleared of allegations of fraud and vote rigging spouted by his defeated rivals in this week’s election, will assume office as president on October 20, is now 53 years old. He’s Muslim, married to Iriana and has three children, and was born on June 21, 1961, in Surakarta (also known as Solo). He’s the eldest son of Noto Mihardjo and Sujiatmi Notomihardjo, and has three younger sisters.
Widodo was educated at State Primary School 111 in Tirtoyoso, which has a reputation as being a school for those without much in the way of money, and his family’s constant financial difficulties meant that he had to work throughout his schooling to help pay the bills and to even buy his own school equipment. His early life was tough, his family being evicted from its riverside slum home no fewer than three times, and by the time that he was 12, he was working with his father in his furniture workshop.
After leaving primary school, Widodo continued his studies in middle school SMP Negeri 1 Surakarta and SMA Negeri 6 Surakarta high school, continuing his education in the forestry faculty of Gadjah Mada University, from where he graduated in 1985 with a degree with a thesis entitled “Study on plywood consumption in final consumption in Surakarta municipality”. Nobody could claim that his was a privileged upbringing.
After he graduated, he worked for BUMN PT Kertas Kraft Aceh and was sent away from his home. He soon returned to familiar surroundings, however, as his wife became pregnant, and he was fired up by the idea of using his woodworking skills at his uncle’s business, known as CV Roda Jati. But even that didn’t last long, and, in 1988, he started his own furniture-making business, called CV Rakabu, named after his first child. By all accounts this business was initially quite successful, but he ended up having to close it down, borrowing money from his mother to start up again in 1990.
His transition from an on-the-skids sole trader to leader of Indonesia seems utterly incredible, but Widodo’s business skills improved to the point that he became a wealthy man employing, at one point, 1,000 people. In 2002, he became president of the Surakarta branch of the powerful furniture manufacturers’ association. His clean, corruption-free and no-nonsense approach to business, combined with his empathy towards people experiencing difficulties, led to him being voted mayor of his home city, Solo, and his tenure was successful enough to merit him being re-elected in 2010. Two years later, he resigned to run for the office of governor of Jakarta. Another two years down the line, here we are, with Widodo being voted in as ruler of his country.
Political ascensions are seldom so meteoric, something that his stuck-in-their-ways rivals have been keen to suggest makes him inexperienced for such a responsible position. When he assumes office, he will become the seventh Indonesian president and the first to not have been part of the political elite or have been an army general. But what he does have on his side is experience from the hard knocks of life, and that, combined with his incredible business turnaround, is what matters most to the majority of voters.
Much of Widodo’s success can be put down to the way he has interacted with the working classes while governor of Jakarta. Regularly conducting what are known as “blusukans”, or “unscheduled visits”, he and his team are renowned for walking around, talking to local people about the issues affecting them and carefully listening to their concerns, before going away and actually doing whatever they can to help. Whether it was the positioning of bus stops, persistently blocked drains or refuse-collection worries, Widodo made progress where others had either failed or not cared.
He has also paid unannounced visits to city officials at government offices, sometimes catching them off guard and not doing their jobs. This, too, has been dealt with, with ruthless efficiency. He has uncovered corruption and blitzed it, and, in the process, steadily won the hearts and minds of the people who see his new way of politics as a refreshing change.
Widodo acts, looks and dresses like everyone else in Indonesia. The only thing remarkable about him is the way that his governance has touched Indonesians everywhere. He’s a hero, an everyman, a husband and a father, and, as ruler of one of the world’s most populated countries, the potential improvements that he makes could be felt throughout the entire world. Keep an eye on this one – he’ll go a long way.
khackett@thenational.ae
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
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4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
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Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
