Agung Laksono
Agung Laksono | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2019 | |
Member of thePresidential Advisory Council | |
Assumed office 13 December 2019 | |
President | Joko Widodo |
Chairman | Wiranto |
15thCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare | |
In office 22 October 2009 – 20 October 2014 | |
President | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono |
Preceded by | Aburizal Bakrie |
Succeeded by | Puan Maharani |
14thSpeaker of the House of Representatives | |
In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2009 | |
Preceded by | Akbar Tandjung |
Succeeded by | Marzuki Alie |
Member ofHouse of Representatives | |
In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2009 | |
Constituency | DKI Jakarta I |
In office 1 October 1987 – 30 September 1999 | |
Constituency | DKI Jakarta |
7th Minister of Youth and Sports | |
Acting 7 December 2012 – 15 January 2013 | |
President | Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono |
Preceded by | Andi Alfian Mallarangeng |
Succeeded by | Roy Suryo |
In office 26 March 1998 – 27 September 1999 | |
President | |
Preceded by | Hayono Isman |
Succeeded by |
|
Personal details | |
Born | Semarang,Indonesia | 23 March 1949
Political party | Golkar |
Alma mater | Christian University of Indonesia(dr.) |
Occupation | |
Agung Laksono(born 23 March 1949)[1]is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is serving as a member of thePresidential Advisory Councilsince 2019. A member ofGolkar,Agung previously served asCoordinating Minister for People's Welfarein theSecond United Indonesia Cabinetfrom 2009 to 2014 and asSpeaker of the House of Representativesfrom 2004 to 2009.[2]
Born in Semarang, on 23 March 1949.[1]He completed his primary and secondary education at SMA Negeri 4 Medan. He continued his studies at theChristian University of Indonesiaat the Faculty of Medicine and graduated in 1972.[2]He started his political career in theGolkar Partyby serving as Chairman of the Youth Forces of the Golkar Party from 1984 until 1989.
Laksono would go on to serve as Director of PT Horizon Andalas Televisi, now known asANTVfrom 1993 until 1998 and Minister of Youth and Sports in theDevelopment Cabinet VIIin the government ofPresidentSuharto.[3]In 1999, he entered thePeople's Representative Council.In 2004, he replacedAkbar TandjungasSpeaker of the People's Representative Council,going to serve from 2004 until 2009.
He was appointed by PresidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyonoas Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare from 2009 until 2014. On 7 December 2012, he was appointed to serve as Acting Minister of Youth and Sports replacing Andi Mallarangeng, following Andi's resignation over alleged corruption case of the Hambalang sports facility construction project inBogor,West Java.Being succeeded by Roy Suryo. On 28 May 2014, he was also appointed as ActingMinister of Religious AffairsreplacingSuryadharma Aliwho officially resigned after alleged corruption. He was soon replaced byLukman Hakim Saifuddinwho was officially inaugurated by the President on 9 June 2014.
On 13 December 2019, PresidentJoko Widodoappointed Laksono and 8 others to become members of the Presidential Advisory Council withWirantoas chairman.
Early life, education, and early career
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]Agung Laksono was born in Semarang on 23 March 1949.[1]He completed his primary and secondary education at SMA Negeri 4 Medan. He continued his studies at theIndonesian Christian Universityat the Faculty of Medicine and graduated in 1972.[2]
Early career
[edit]He started his political career in the Golkar Party by serving as Chairman of the Youth Forces of the Golkar Party from 1984 until 1989.
Political career
[edit]Laksono would go on to serve as Minister of Youth and Sports in theDevelopment Cabinet VIIin the government ofPresidentSuharto.[3]In 1999, he entered thePeople's Representative Council.In 2004, he replacedAkbar TandjungasSpeaker of the People's Representative Council,going to serve from 2004 until 2009.
He was appointed by PresidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyonoas Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare from 2009 until 2014. On 7 December 2012, he was appointed to serve as Acting Minister of Youth and Sports replacing Andi Mallarangeng, following Andi's resignation over alleged corruption case of the Hambalang sports facility construction project inBogor,West Java.Being succeeded by Roy Suryo. On 28 May 2014, he was also appointed as ActingMinister of Religious AffairsreplacingSuryadharma Aliwho officially resigned after alleged corruption. He was soon replaced byLukman Hakim Saifuddinwho was officially inaugurated by the President on 9 June 2014.
On December 13, 2019, PresidentJoko Widodoappointed Laksono and 8 others to become members of the Presidential Advisory Council withWirantoas chairman.
Political positions
[edit]Iran nuclear program
[edit]Laksono is a supporter ofIran's nuclear program.[4]
Business ventures
[edit]Adam Air
[edit]He was a co-founder ofAdam Air,a now defunct commercial airline, which was heavily embroiled in corruption as well as various safety violations.[5]Adam Air was closed down after a series of accidents.[6][7]
Controversy
[edit]![]() |
Laksono is known for critical remarks towardSingaporein response to the island republic's diplomatic calls to the Indonesian government to curb acrid trans-boundary haze that shroud large areas ofSumatra,Peninsular Malaysiaand Singapore annually as a result of extensive "slash and burn"cultivation in Sumatra,Kalimantanand other Indonesian territories. His remarks were viewed as without sound justification, aimed at rousing nationalistic sentiments without constructively resolving the issue at hand.
In the2013 Southeast Asian haze,PSIlevels across many parts ofJohor,Malacca,Selangorand Singapore reached hazardous levels[8][9]as the number of hotspots in neighbouringRiauprovince, Sumatra, climbed to 148.[10]Laksono lambasted Singaporeans for "behaving like a child" when the city-state stepped up pressure on the Indonesian government to take definitive action to extinguish the Sumatran forest fires and bring those responsible to justice through stricter enforcement of laws against indiscriminate burning.[11]When a Singaporean official[who?]offered assistance to tackle the recurrent haze problem at an emergency meeting held inJakarta,Laksono responded, "If it is only half a million, or one million dollars, we don't need that. We would rather use our own national budget."[12]
Singapore's Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loongmentioned in a press conference that "It’s not fruitful to respond to such comments. It would be in the best interests of both countries to work on the problem together rather than exchanging harsh words." Lee also repeated an offer to help Indonesia.
Laksono also told reporters that "Indonesian citizens also need to be looked after" before tending to other countries' interests, even though the world's largest archipelago is observed to be the primary source of the annual regional smog. While playing the victim card, he squarely fended off the blame to foreign-owned companies and elements beyond his nation's control. He argued that it was "not what Indonesians want, it's nature", despite the fact that it was clear even in the haze that were razing large areas of forested land for commercial plantations were certainly man-made events.
Laksono also reportedly remarked on more than one occasion that Indonesia's neighbours do not appreciate the fresh air that Indonesian forests bring to them, but complained about the haze when it only happens occasionally.
References
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^abcMedia, Kompas Cyber (December 13, 2019)."Dilantik Jadi Anggota Wantimpres, Ini Profil Agung Laksono".KOMPAS.com(in Indonesian).RetrievedSeptember 6,2021.
- ^abc"United Indonesia Cabinet 2009-2014".The Jakarta Post.October 22, 2009. p. 3.
- ^ab"Profil - Agung Laksono".merdeka.com.RetrievedSeptember 6,2021.
- ^Indonesia parliament strongly supports Iran's rights on nuclear energyArchivedJanuary 7, 2007, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Suit puts Adam Air under spotlight".
- ^Bill Guerin (January 24, 2007)."Falling skies for Indonesian aviation".Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007.RetrievedOctober 23,2009.
{{cite news}}
:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^Novia D. Rulistia (March 19, 2008)."Troubled Adam Air loses operating rights".The Jakarta Post.RetrievedOctober 23,2009.
- ^Haze along Straits of Malacca worsens
- ^Singapore Haze Pictures Show Country Cloaked In Smog From Indonesia Forest Fires
- ^Only rain can help S'pore now
- ^Indonesian minister says Singapore "behaving like a small child" over haze
- ^"Indonesian minister says Singapore" behaving like a small child "over haze".www.straitstimes.com.Archived fromthe originalon June 20, 2013.