Gibran: Indonesian golden child brought down in diploma scandal
Detailed summary
A high school diploma scandal cuts short Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s vice presidency after two years, ending the controversial rise of Jokowi’s eldest son.
A high school diploma scandal cuts short Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s vice presidency after two years, ending the controversial rise of Jokowi’s eldest son.
JAKARTA: From culinary entrepreneur to Indonesian vice-president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka has reinvented himself many times and is rarely far from controversy.
On Thursday (Nov 12), the 39-year-old's term in office ended after just two years as a scandal over his high school diploma proved to be the last nail in his political coffin.
Gibran is the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi - the predecessor to incumbent President Prabowo Subianto.
As a young man, Gibran built a catering and wedding planning business, then in 2021 followed in his father's footsteps to become a mayor - in the city of Solo, in Central Java province, where he was born on Oct 1, 1987.
He was widely accused of getting the post through nepotism, having no history of political involvement with any party.
"I've often been bullied and insulted, since way back. I've never reported any of it to the police," Gibran once told reporters.
The stoic, soft-spoken millennial found himself in the crosshairs once more when he was picked as Prabowo's running mate for the presidency in 2024.
The choice strengthened ties between Prabowo's Gerindra party and figures aligned to the popular Jokowi, easing Prabowo's rise to the top.
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