Aburizal Bakrie

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Aburizal Bakrie
Aburizal Bakrie - March 2011.jpeg
Born (1946-11-15) 15 November 1946 (age 66)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Nationality Indonesian
Alma mater Bandung Institute of Technology (Electrical Engineering 1973)
Net worth US$890 million (2011)[1]
Title Golkar Party Chairman
Term 2009–present
Predecessor Jusuf Kalla
Political party Golongan Karya
Religion Islam
Spouse(s) Tatty Murnitriati
Children Anindya Noverdian Bakrie
Anindhita Anestya Bakrie
Anindra Ardiansyah Bakrie

In this Indonesian name, the name "Bakrie" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Bakrie".

Aburizal Bakrie (born 15 November 1946) is a politician, and widely recognized as one of the most successful pribumi (native Indonesian) businessmen in Indonesia.[2] From 2004 until 2005 Bakrie served as Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economy.[3][4] From 2005 until 2009 he served as Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare.[5] Since 2009, Bakrie serves as the Chairman of the Golkar Party and since June 2012 as his party's official candidate for Indonesia's 2014 Presidential election.[6]

Contents

Early life and education[edit]

Bakrie attended the Bandung Institute of Technology where he obtained a degree in electrical engineering in 1973.[7]

Career[edit]

Business career[edit]

In 1972 Bakrie joined PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk known today as the Bakrie Group, the conglomerate founded by his late father Achmad Bakrie, which prospered much like the rest of the Indonesian economy during the Soeharto presidency.[8] The Bakrie Group conducts business in agriculture, real estate, trade, shipping, banking, insurance, media, manufacturing, construction, and mining. Aburizal Bakrie, the eldest of four siblings was the chairman of the family enterprise from 1999 to 2004. In 1998 the Asian economic crisis challenged Bakrie's control of the conglomerate, from which he emerged victorious after a successful refinancing process in 2000.[9]

Public offices[edit]

From 1991 to 1995 Bakrie served two consecutive terms as the President of the ASEAN Business Forum and two consecutive terms from 1994 to 2004 as the President of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (aka Kadin).[10] As a member of the Golkar party Bakrie was running to become Golkar's candidate for the presidency in 2004.

Coordinating Minister for Economy[edit]

In 2004 Bakrie retired from PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk before being named Coordinating Minister for Economy.[10] The appointment by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was initially viewed with some reservation.[11] Shortly after being named to the cabinet of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Bakrie set in motion a new government policy calling for a 3% reduction of Indonesians living in poverty, by reducing fuel subsidies in exchange for financial support to approximately 6 million people.[12] Bakrie argued the government’s need to gradually increase fuel prices to keep fuel subsidies from busting its budget, while bringing the cost of fuel closer to international levels.[13] By October 2005 and after two price hikes, the cost of fuel increased by 126%.[14] Standard & Poor's rated the hike as an encouraging move to relieve immediate pressure on the country's fiscal position and external balance.[15]

In a move to stem Indonesia's declining output of crude oil, Bakrie weighed in[16] to end a standoff between ExxonMobil Corporation and PT Pertamina.[17] The companies had been at odds for many years, following their dispute over operational and profit sharing issues in the Cepu Block oil fields project,[18] the OPEC member's biggest oil discovery on Java in decades. The previous year Bakrie pledged that the new government wanted to resolve the Cepu and other disputes involving international companies, in a show of its commitment to improving Indonesia's investment climate.[19]

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare[edit]

After a reshuffling of the cabinet in 2005, Bakrie was appointed Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare. In May 2008 Bakrie announced the handout of $1.52 billion to nearly 19 million low income households as part of a direct cash relief program[20] aimed to cushion the blow of the fuel increase.[21]

Chairman of Golkar party[edit]

In 2009 Bakrie was elected as the Chairman of Golkar party at Golkar Party Congress in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia after defeating Surya Paloh, Yuddy Chrisnandi and Hutomo Mandala Putra. In May 2010, he successfully formed and was elected the leader of a majority parliamentary coalition with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's party.

Lumpur Sidoarjo[edit]

In May 2006, the Sidoarjo mud flow began to cause significant devastation and loss of life. The mud flow started near PT Lapindo Brantas, a company owned by the Bakrie family. The devastation was blamed on the company, who stated that the earthquake three days earlier had caused the mudflow, but this statement was "dismissed by numerous international experts".[22] A number of environmentalist groups demanded that the company be shut down and that the company should be "prosecuted under environmental laws for gross negligence". PT Lapindo Brantas' partner firm, PT Medco E&P Brantas, stated that Lapindo had "failed to properly case the drilling hole" and that Lapindo was "liable for damage caused by the deluge of mud".[23]

A three year police investigation into the incident ended with the case being dropped with no results. A special investigative committee looking into the mudflow as well, headed by a member of the Golkar party, stated that it was a natural disaster, even though little evidence was presented.[22] Indonesian politicians have defended Bakrie, calling the mud flow a "purely natural disaster" and praising him and the rest of the Bakrie family for paying some compensation to the victims.[24]

Presidential elections 2014[edit]

In the fall of 2010 media coverage started to indicate that Bakrie was seeking to become the Golkar Party's presidential candidate in Indonesia's 2014 Presidential election.[25][26] Since then, Bakrie repeatedly expressed his desire to be nominated as Golkar's presidential candidate.[27] Media reports also suggested the Golkar Party had already commenced its search for a running mate to team up with Bakrie,[28] introducing names like Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X the current Governor of Yogyakarta,[29] Pramono Anung the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party and Deputy House Speaker, Dahlan Iskan the State Enterprises Minister, as well as Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono the youngest son of Indonesia's current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.[30]

Bakrie's early nomination was met with significant criticism as some party members favored a caucus to first determine the mechanisms for naming the party’s candidate.[31][32] The head of the Golkar Party advisory board, Akbar Tanjung, criticized the decision earlier in October 2011, when the party congress chose Bakrie as the preferred candidate without allowing other people to be nominated. Tanjung called the process "undemocratic and said it denied other members the right to pursue the nomination". This criticism was echoed by "other members, including some at the regional level".[33] Bakrie responded to the criticism by saying that they were "political attacks" and was described by The Jakarta Post as "shrugging off" the criticism.[34] Others however pointed out the need to settle on their presidential candidate well ahead of the 2014 election, citing Indonesia's sheer geographic footprint with sprawling provinces and a population expected to reach 248 million this year.[35]

On June 29, 2012 at Golkar's National Leadership meeting in Bogor, Bakrie was declared the Golkar Party's 2014 Presidential candidate.[36][37] In his acceptance speech Bakrie said "Pleading for guidance from God almighty, the faith to build a more developed Indonesia, a strong will and support from all of you, with humility I officially and openly accept this nomination."[38] In an attempt to end speculation about a possible running mate for Bakrie[39] Golkar's Deputy Chairman Agung Laksono ruled out the selection of a vice presidential candidate until 2013.[40]

Recent opinion polls show Bakrie trailing behind other presidential hopefuls[41] including former general Prabowo Subianto (Chief Patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party) and former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia’s first President Sukarno.[38][42]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Indonesia's 40 Richest. Forbes.com. Accessed December 2011.
  2. ^ Executive Profile & Biography BusinessWeek. Accessed February 19, 2011.
  3. ^ Wayne Arnold (October 4, 2005). "This Bali Bombing Seen as Having Less Economic Effect". New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Coordinating Minister for the Economy: Number of Poor Will Increase". Tempo (Indonesian magazine). August 14, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2012. 
  5. ^ Daftar Menteri Koordinator Bidang Kesejahteraan Rakyat Indonesia
  6. ^ Zakir Hussain (June 30, 2012). "Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie to run for president". The Straits Times. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  7. ^ Who's Who The Jakarta Post. Accessed February 19, 2011.
  8. ^ Mark Forbes (2006-06-23). "Mud flung at minister in wake of Java disaster". The Sydney Morning Herald. 
  9. ^ "Bakrie's Restructuring of Debts Completed". IBonWeb.com. 11/30/200. 
  10. ^ a b CACCI Profile, 2004. "Mr. Aburizal Bakrie now economic minister of Indonesia". Retrieved 2006-10-15. 
  11. ^ BBC News (2004-10-20). "Indonesian leader sets out goals". 
  12. ^ "Government to Maintain Increased Fuel Prices". - TEMPO Interactive. March 16, 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  13. ^ "Indonesia Min: New Fuel Prices To Remain Below International Prices". Dow Jones. September 29, 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  14. ^ "Indonesia raises fuel prices by 126%". Financial Times. October 1, 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  15. ^ "Indonesia's donors support latest fuel price hike, Bakrie". AFX News. October 3, 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  16. ^ "Exxon Claims Right To Run Cepu Oil". Shana News. November 17, 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  17. ^ "Indonesia: ExxonMobil Cepu oil field to begin full production". energy-pedia news. July 29, 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  18. ^ "Cepu Block". Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  19. ^ "Jakarta plans to resolve dispute over giant oilfield". Financial Times. November 15, 2004. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  20. ^ "Fuel prices to increase after May 23. Date and details of coming fuel hike await president's approval of fuel subsidy program.". Bali Post. May 18, 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2013. 
  21. ^ "Indonesia to cut fuel subsidies". New York Times. May 23, 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2012. 
  22. ^ a b Staff writer (January 14, 2010). "Indonesia's Teflon tycoon". The Economist. Retrieved February 20, 2012. 
  23. ^ Arie Rukmantara (June 14, 2006). "Shut Lapindo well, arrest management, government told". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved February 20, 2012. 
  24. ^ Fidelis E Satriastanti, Ezra Sihite & Markus Junianto Sihaloho (May 30, 2012). "Politicians Defend Bakrie, Say Sidoarjo Victims Are Better Off". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved May 30, 2012. 
  25. ^ Markus Junianto Sihaloho (2010-09-29). "Aburizal in 2014, if the Polls Are Right". The Jakarta Globe. 
  26. ^ AFP (2011-09-12). "Indonesian tycoon Aburizal Bakrie to run for president". The Straits Times. 
  27. ^ JG (2012-02-19). "I'm Ready For 2014". The Jakarta Globe. 
  28. ^ ANTARA (2011-12-28). "Golkar seeking running mate for Aburizal as presidential candidate". Antara (news agency). 
  29. ^ Slamet Susanto (June 24, 2012). "Golkar Party Yogyakarta branches declare Sultan as VP candidate". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  30. ^ Ezra Sihite (June 21, 2012). "Bakrie Considers Unlikely Pairing with SBY's Son". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  31. ^ Staff writer (May 10, 2012). "Golkar Party Members Try To Make Up". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved May 30, 2012. 
  32. ^ Staff writer (July 1, 2012). "Aburizal Bakrie Named as Golkar’s Presidential Candidate". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  33. ^ Staff writer (May 10, 2012). "Golkar Party Members Try To Make Up". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved May 30, 2012. 
  34. ^ Staff writer (May 1, 2012). "Philosophic Ical shrugs off intra-Golkar atacks". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved May 30, 2012. 
  35. ^ World Population Review (March 13, 2012). "Population of Indonesia 2012". WordPress. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  36. ^ Dian Widiyanarko (June 29, 2012). "Golkar to Declare Presidential Candidate". id:VIVAnews. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  37. ^ Ahmad Pathoni (July 3, 2012). "Bakrie Nomination Starts Indonesia’s Presidential Race". Wall Street Journal Online Blog. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  38. ^ a b Reuters (July 1, 2012). "Mining tycoon secures Golkar nomination". Gulf Today. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  39. ^ Suara Pembaruan (June 29, 2012). "Golkar's Aburizal Bakrie Names 5 Potential VP Candidates". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  40. ^ Staff writer (July 3, 2012). "Golkar to decide VP candidate in 2013". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  41. ^ Ahmad Fuad Yahya (June 7, 2012). "Prabowo Most Popular Presidential Candidate". BERNAMA Malaysian National News Agency. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 
  42. ^ Ezra Sihite (June 26, 2012). "Golkar Eyes 30% of Votes in 2014". The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved July 4, 2012. 

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by
Jusuf Kalla		 Chairman of Golkar Party
9 October 2009–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Alwi Shihab		 Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare of Indonesia
7 December 2005 - 22 October 2009		 Succeeded by
Agung Laksono
Preceded by
Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti		 Coordinating Minister for Economy of Indonesia
21 October 2004 - 6 December 2005		 Succeeded by
Boediono
Preceded by
Sotion Ardjanggi		 President of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
1994 - 2004		 Succeeded by
Mohamad Suleman Hidayat
Business positions
Preceded by
Achmad Bakrie		 Chairman of Bakrie & Brothers
1994 - 2004		 Succeeded by
Nirwan Bakrie
Authority control
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