MUHAMMAD JUSUF KALLA:
RUNNING MATE FROM THE EAST
(born in Watampone, South Sulawesi; May 15, 1942). On 19th December 2004, Kalla was elected as the Chairman of Golkar Party.
MUHAMMAD JUSUF KALLA:
RUNNING MATE FROM THE EAST
(born in Watampone, South Sulawesi; May 15, 1942). On 19th December 2004, Kalla was elected as the Chairman of Golkar Party.
SBY’s selection of H Muhammad Jusuf Kalla (JK) as his running
mate is the right choice. Besides having worked in the Cabinet Gotong
Royong under the leadership of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, JK is
an individual characterized by his honesty, professionalism, religious
nature and spotless record.
FAMILY
JK’s parents, Haji Kalla and Hajjah Athirah, formed the activist
organization Islam Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). The family home in Makassar was
situated next to Mesjid Raya, the largest mosque in the city and so the
family frequently worshipped at the mosque. This is how their children
were educated to always remember Allah
CAREER
The early years of JK’s career characterize him as a political entrepreneur/industrialist. JK was involved in the business sector as the head of the family business, which was formed by Hadji Kalla when he was in college. From that moment on, the business moved into commercial and import and export activities, which experienced monetary difficulties under the leadership of the Old Regime.
Haji Kalla then gave his business to JK with only one employee. However this didn’t discourage JK from assuming control over the business. The business ethics his parents had taught him was to hold firm and steady.
In JK’s hands, the family business flourished quickly. Aside from its main business, the Hadji Kalla Group transformed into an East Indonesian conglomerate with activities in infrastructure construction, land and sea transportation, plantations, the automotive industry, fishing, real estate and telecommunications.
JK has held many key positions in a number of publicly listed companies; such as President Director of NV Hadji Kalla (1968-2001), President Director of Bumi Karsa (1969-2001), President Commissioner of PT Bukaka Teknik Utama (1988-2001), President Director of PT Bumi Sarana Utama (1988-2001), President Director of PT Kalla Karsa (1993-2001), President Commissioner of PT Bukaka Singtel International (1995-2001).
In the political arena, JK first started out as a student activist in the Muslim student organization “Himpunan Mahasisiwa Islam” (HMI). Then when student demonstrations broke out in 1966, he jumped into a leadership role in the South Sulawesi branch of Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Indonesia (KAMI). As head of South Sulawesi KAMI, JK chose to also become a Golkar member of the South Sulawesi DPRD. Then for the years1982 till 1999, he was an MPR member.
His political career is what brought him into the position of Minster, when in 1999, President Abdurrahman Wahid temporarily appointed him Minister of Business and Industry to replace Head of BULOG. JK only headed this position for a year, until President Megawati Soekarnoputri requested him to be Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare on August 2001.
It was while he was Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare that his performance was impressive. For example, he worked with SBY, who at the time was Minister of Politics and Security Affairs, to install the framework of peace plans in the conflict zone of Poso along with its Malino I and II Agreement, and to resolve the conflict in Ambon.. In April, 2004, JK resigned from its duty as Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare after deciding to join Presidential Candidate SBY as his Vice-Presidential running mate.
With a persevering attitude and character, JK likes to work hard and is always consistent in his words and actions. He is seen as a complementary Vice-Presidential running mate to SBY, a potential vice president who is steadfast, full of integrity and intellectually capable of contending in the July 5th presidential election.