Fahmi Idris
Fahmi Idris was a prominent Indonesian businessman and politician. He was a Minister of Manpower under the Habibie presidency period. During Yudhoyono's first term of presidency, he became Minister of Industry. In 2005, he was reappointed Minister of Manpower during Yudhoyono's second term.
He received a doctorate title from University of Indonesia as well as appointed a Honorary Professor at State University of Padang.
Life
Fahmi was one of the Minangkabau people who was born in Kenari, Central Jakarta on September 20, 1943. His father, Idris Marah Bagindo, was a trader who migrated from West Sumatra to Jakarta. Fahmi studied at Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia where he was the chairman of the student council.After becoming an activist during the transition to the New Order era, in the late 1960s he became an entrepreneur. In 1969, he founded PT Kwarta Daya Pratama and joined PT Krama Yudha four years later. In 1978, he co-established Kodel Group with Soegeng Saryadi, Aburizal Bakrie, Pontjo Sutowo, and Said Umar Husin, and became president director. The group continuously expanded its business into wide-ranging sectors, such as insurance, chemicals, agribusiness, banking, real estate, and hotels. The groups own the Regent Hotel and Hotel Ibis Tamarin and the sole agent of Land Rover in Indonesia.
Fahmi was also an accomplished politician. In the Golkar party, he was believed to have a strong and far-reaching patronage network. In 1998, he sat on the central board of the party, and that year was appointed Minister of Manpower and Transmigration. He did not join the cabinet during Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati presidencies. Under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presidency, he returned to the position of Minister of Manpower and Transmigration. In 2005, he survived a cabinet reshuffle and moved on to become Minister for Industry.