Indonesians in Focus: Jusuf Kalla

By Barrie | January 4th, 2008 | No Comments

Jusuf Kalla is known for being quick with a comeback and unafraid to mince words - qualities that have at times landed him in hot water. He began serving as Vice President under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in September 2004 and several months later was elected as leader of the Golkar Party - the largest party in the legislature putting him firmly in the media glare.

Last year, Kalla placed himself squarely on the record against former Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung’s statement that Golkar did not have a long-term vision due to the business backgrounds of most of its leaders.

Kalla’s parents, Haji Kalla and Atirah Kalla, established the enterprise, NV. Hadji Kalla. Initially only a textile company, NV. Hadji Kalla has now expanded to the hotel industry, construction, car dealing, bridges, shipping, real estate, transportation, a shrimp farm, oil palm and communications.

When people began making fun of Jusuf Kalla’s business allegiances, much to their surprise, he remained unperturbed.

In a Golkar meeting with national businessmen, Kalla insisted there was nothing wrong with mixing business with politics.

Businesspeople had to think of short-term, mid-term and long-term plans at the same time in order to defend their businesses as well as their employees, Kalla said.

He was not just talking rhetoric. The alumni of the School of Economics at Hasanuddin University (1967) and the European Institute of Business Administration Fountainebleu, France, (1977) had brought NV. Hadji Kalla back from the brink of bankruptcy when he took over its management in 1969.

Born in Watampone, South Sulawesi, on May 15, 1942, Muhammad Jusuf Kalla first became interested in politics when he joined the Indonesian Student Action Front (KAMI) as a university student.
He entered the national political arena in 1987, when he was elected to be a member of the People’s Consultative Assembly -and was twice reelected.

In 1999, then president Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) appointed Kalla as industry and trade minister as well as head of the National Logistics Agency. He was discharged, however, due to a corruption, collusion and nepotism allegation from Gus Dur himself.
Kalla’s stood his ground, accusing Gus Dur of slander.

When Megawati became president in 2002, she appointed Kalla as the coordinating minister for the people’s welfare.

Kalla resigned in 2004 to become the running mate of the former general, Yudhoyono, in the presidential election.

Political analysts at that time predicted Kalla would compete against Yudhoyono to build up his image in preparation for the 2009 elections.

When Kalla paid Idul Fitri calls on a number of former presidentsincluding Soeharto, Gus Dur and Megawatiin October 2007, it was suggested he was laying down the groundwork for a run at the presidency in 2009. Kalla, however, said he was just maintaining old friendships.

He famously commented during an interview with a national magazine last year that, as a businessman he felt that 1,000 friends was not enough, but one enemy was entirely too many.

At the close of Golkar’s annual meeting in November last year, Kalla said, to the outrage of many, that democracy was onlymeans, a tool, a process” and not the country’s number one priority.

Political analysts responded by saying that Kalla had powerful anti-democratic tendencies, which the government had been turning a blind eye to. But, once again, Kalla ignored the criticism.

For the moment, Kalla is sticking to his principle that anything is permissible to accomplish a goal.don’t care about your comments, as long as I am sure this can settle the problem I will continue - it doesn’t matter if people protest my actions every day,” he said last year in an interview with Tempo magazine.

Irawaty Wardany