Basuki Tjahaja Purnama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama
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| 鐘萬學 | |
Ahok in 2020
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| President Commissioner of Pertamina | |
| In office 25 November 2019 – 2 February 2024 |
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| Deputy | Pahala Mansury |
| Preceded by | Tanri Abeng |
| Succeeded by | Simon Aloysius Mantiri |
| 12th Governor of Jakarta | |
| In office 19 November 2014 – 9 May 2017 |
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| Vice Governor | Djarot Saiful Hidayat |
| Preceded by | Joko Widodo |
| Succeeded by | Djarot Saiful Hidayat |
| 12th Vice Governor of Jakarta | |
| In office 15 October 2012 – 16 October 2014 |
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| Governor | Joko Widodo |
| Preceded by | Prijanto |
| Succeeded by | Djarot Saiful Hidayat |
| 3rd Regent of East Belitung | |
| In office 3 August 2005 – 22 December 2006 |
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| Deputy | Khairul Effendi |
| Preceded by | Usman Saleh (interim) |
| Succeeded by |
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| Member of House of Representatives | |
| In office 1 October 2009 – 26 April 2012 |
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| Succeeded by | Azhar Romli |
| Parliamentary group | Golkar |
| Constituency | Bangka Belitung |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Tjoeng Wan Hok
29 June 1966 Manggar, Indonesia |
| Political party | PDI-P |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 children |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Basuri Tjahaja Purnama (brother) |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
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Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Chinese: 鐘萬學; pinyin: Zhōng Wànxué, Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Chûng Van-ho̍k; born 29 June 1966) is an Indonesian businessman and politician. He used to be the governor of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. People often call him by his Hakka Chinese name, Ahok (Chinese: 阿學).
Ahok made history as the first governor of Jakarta who was of Chinese descent. He was also the first governor of Jakarta who was not from the main ethnic group of Indonesia. Before becoming governor, he served in the Indonesian parliament and as a local leader (called a Regent) in East Belitung Regency. In 2014, he became the governor of Jakarta when the previous governor, Joko Widodo, became president. During his time as governor, he faced many challenges and controversies. He ran for re-election in 2017 but lost.
Early Life and Family
Growing Up in Belitung
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama was born on 29 June 1966. He grew up in a town called Manggar in East Belitung. He is the oldest son of Buniarti Ningsih and the late Indra Tjahaja Purnama. He has three brothers and sisters: Basuri Tjahaja Purnama, Fifi Lety, and Harry Basuki.
Ahok first married Veronica Tan on 6 September 1997. They had three children together: Nicolas Sean, Natania, and Daud Albeneer. They later divorced in 2018. In 2019, Ahok married Puput Nastiti Devi. They have two children: Yosafat Abimanyu Purnama and Sarah Eliana Purnama.
His Education Journey
Ahok went to Trisakti University to study mineral resources and technology. He earned a degree in geological engineering in 1989. After graduating, he went back to his hometown. There, he started a company that worked on mining projects.
After working for two years, he decided to study more. He went to Prasetiya Mulya Business School in Jakarta. He earned a master's degree in financial management.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Ahok began his political journey in his home region of Belitung. In 2005, he ran for the position of Regent of East Belitung with Khairul Effendi as his partner. They won the election with 37.13% of the votes. He hoped that Indonesia was moving past old prejudices. People nicknamed him "The Father" and "The Law" because he was very strong against corruption.
As Regent, Ahok worked on important issues. These included traffic, worker rights, and making the government more honest. He helped increase the minimum wage for workers. He also suggested ways to help street vendors move to special markets to reduce traffic. He moved poor villagers to new homes. He even made surprise visits to government offices to check on things. He also suggested using cameras to make sure everyone was doing their job right.
Running for Governor of Bangka-Belitung
Ahok left his Regent position in 2006. He wanted to run for governor of Bangka-Belitung in 2007. Former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid encouraged him to run. Wahid supported Ahok and praised his ideas for improving healthcare. However, Ahok did not win this election.
In 2008, Ahok wrote a book about his ideas for improving Indonesia. It was called Merubah Indonesia (Reforming Indonesia).
Time in Parliament (2009–2012)
In 2009, Ahok was elected to the DPR, which is like Indonesia's parliament. He was part of the Golkar party. He received many votes and worked in a committee that dealt with various issues. In 2011, he spoke out against local tin mining businesses. He said they were harming the environment. This comment caused some discussion, but he stood firm on his views.
Jakarta's Deputy Governor (2012–2014)
In 2011, Ahok thought about running for governor of Jakarta on his own. But he decided not to, as it was hard to get enough signatures to run independently. Instead, he became the running mate for Joko Widodo in the 2012 election. They won the election, defeating the current governor.
Ahok and Joko Widodo were supported by two political parties. In 2014, Ahok left one of these parties. He disagreed with their idea to stop direct elections for local leaders.
Serving as Governor (2014–2017)
When Joko Widodo became president, Ahok took over as the Governor of Jakarta. He was officially sworn in on 18 November 2014.
During his time as governor, Ahok worked to improve Jakarta. He focused on making government processes more open and honest. He faced some investigations related to city land purchases. For example, there was a case about land bought for a hospital. Another case involved land in Cengkareng, West Jakarta. These investigations looked into whether the city paid too much. However, the Corruption Eradication Commission, a group that fights corruption, questioned him and found no wrongdoing on his part in one of the cases.
Running for Re-election in 2017
Ahok decided to run for governor again in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. At first, he planned to run as an independent candidate. A group of volunteers called Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok) collected many identity cards from supporters. This was needed for independent candidates. However, new rules made it harder for independent candidates. So, Ahok decided to run with the support of several political parties. These parties included Golkar, Hanura, Nasdem, and PDI-P.
In the first round of voting on 15 February 2017, Ahok received about 43% of the votes. He moved on to the second round against Anies Baswedan. In the final vote on 19 April, Anies Baswedan won the election. Ahok accepted the results.
Facing Challenges as a Minority Candidate
As a candidate from a minority group, Ahok sometimes faced unfair comments. During the election campaign, some people targeted him because he was of Chinese descent. Also, being both a Christian and of Chinese descent made him a target for some hardline groups. These groups called for changes to Jakarta's rules. They wanted to reduce the governor's power over Islamic organizations. Some comments even reminded people of past violence against Chinese Indonesians.
Controversy and Its Impact
In September 2016, while talking about a government project, Ahok mentioned a verse from the Qur'an. He said some people might use this verse to trick others into not voting for him. A video of his speech was later edited and shared online. This caused a big misunderstanding. Many people felt that his statement was disrespectful to the Quran. Ahok received many angry messages and threats.
Several groups reported Ahok to the police. They said he had broken Indonesia's law against disrespecting religion. On 10 October 2016, Ahok publicly apologized to anyone he had offended. He said he never meant to cause harm. He also pointed out that he had helped Muslims with his policies. For example, he approved permits for Islamic schools and built a mosque at City Hall. He also noted that the people listening to his speech in Thousand Islands were not offended at the time.
This controversy led to large protests in Jakarta. These protests were mainly organized by Islamist groups. The situation became very tense. Due to the strong public reaction, Ahok was unable to finish his term as governor. His deputy, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, took over until the term ended in October 2017.
After His Time as Governor
Ahok was released in January 2019. This was due to reductions in his time given for national holidays. Soon after, he joined the PDI-P political party. He asked people to call him 'BTP' instead of 'Ahok'.
In 2019, Ahok said he might not become a government official again. However, during President Jokowi's second term, Ahok was appointed as the president commissioner of Pertamina. This is a big state-owned oil and gas company. Some groups protested his appointment.
Ahok is seen as a possible candidate for the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Even though he cannot run for president or be a government minister because of his past, he is allowed to run as a regional leader. He just needs to publicly announce his past situation. On 2 February 2024, he left his role at Pertamina to help with Ganjar Pranowo's presidential campaign.
Awards and Achievements
Ahok has received many awards for his work and leadership. These awards recognize his efforts in various areas, from environmental protection to fighting corruption.
- WWF National Earth Hour Capital (2015, 2016): For his strong commitment to developing Jakarta in a way that reduces carbon emissions.
- PT Telkom Indonesia Smart City Nusantara: For improving city connections and working with the community.
- Indonesia Green Award (2016): For increasing green spaces in Jakarta.
- Bappenas (2015, 2016, 2017): Received multiple awards for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and for excellent and innovative city planning.
- Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) Families Gus Dur Awards (2016): Recognized for being brave and firm against corruption, similar to former president Gus Dur.
- Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Corruption Eradication Commission) Anti Gratuity Awards: For successfully controlling illegal payments within the Jakarta government.
- Bung Hatta Anti Corruption Awards: Recognized for his honesty and new ideas in making government budgets clear and open.
- Democracy Awards: For his success in strengthening local self-governance in Indonesia.
- MURI (Indonesian Record Museum): Received several awards for achievements like publishing many licensing services quickly, preventing terrorism through social programs, and even for the longest flower board parade.
- Foreign Policy Global Thinkers (2017): Recognized for standing up against extreme views in Indonesia.
- Roosseno Award IX (2019): Honored for his strong work ethic, honesty, and creative ideas that have inspired people in Indonesia.
