Surprises often occur on this country's political stage. The figure of Dr. Eng. H. Ilham Akbar Habibie, Dipl. Ing, MBA, who is better known as a technocrat and businessman, was surprisingly announced by the NasDem Party as a gubernatorial candidate for the 2024 West Java regional elections. Who will be his running mate?

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When submitting recommendations to Ilham Akbar Habibie to run as a Candidate for Governor in the West Java regional elections on June 6, the General Chair of the NasDem Party, Surya Paloh, did not announce who would be his companion or Deputy Governor Candidate. Regarding the Deputy Governor candidate, it seems that negotiations with the coalition parties are still open.

According to Ilham, until this interview was published he was still waiting for directions from the NasDem Party regarding who would be his companion. However, he and his team and the NasDem Party continue to coordinate with whom he will partner to win the hearts of the people of West Java. "We continue to carry out political communications with friends from political parties such as PKS, PKB and other parties. "We will announce who I will be paired with later," said Ilham Akbar Habibie.

Of the two parties that were NasDem's coalition partners in the last presidential election, Saan Mustopa gave a little hint that the eldest son of Indonesia's third President, BJ. Habibie, he will be paired with PKS cadres. "We are continuing to build communication, between NasDem, PKS, and PKB. We have built it intensively with PKS, later it will just be up to PKS to determine who will be promoted," said Saan Mustopa.

West Java has indeed attracted a lot of interest from politicians and political parties to take part in this five-yearly competition. So far, a number of politicians have been predicted to take part in the 2024 West Java regional elections. They include the incumbent Ridwan Kamil who has received a letter of assignment from the Golkar Party. Then there is former Deputy Governor Deddy Mizwar who is also an actor. Former Regent of Purwakarta, Deddy Mulyadi, and former Mayor of Bogor, Bima Arya, are reportedly paired together for the West Java Regional Election. There is also the figure of a film star and singer who is now a member of the DPR RI from PAN, Desy Ratnasari, who claims to be ready to run in the West Java regional elections.

Looking at their track record, the names that will enliven the West Java regional elections are tough and experienced opponents. Can Ilham Akbar Habibie and his partner win the sympathy of the people of West Java? We will see later. This is the complete conversation with Iqbal Irsyad, Edy Suherli, Ariandono Wijan Winardi, Bambang Eros, and Irfan Medianto from VOI who met him at the Habibie and Ainun Library in the Kuningan area, Setiabudi, South Jakarta recently. Here's the excerpt.

Like the late BJ. Habibie, you are known as a technocrat and professional. How did you get into politics? What's your motivation?

I was born and raised abroad. I study and also work abroad. At quite an old age, I returned to Indonesia to help build and advance the nation in the field I am skilled at. Actually, if I wanted, I could not return to Indonesia, I have a good career abroad. Because I had a goal and nationalism, I finally went home. To take part in advancing Indonesia not only in the field that I specialize in, but also in the political field.

People say politics is cruel, how do you respond to this?

I think it's not only the political world that is cruel, the business world is also cruel. If it is said that the world outside of politics is all free from intrigue, I think yes and no. It's true that the political image is like that, but not all politicians like intrigue, there are many politicians who are clean, professional and idealistic.

When did you become interested and finally get involved in politics?

So far, people know me as an engineer and entrepreneur. I recently got involved in practical politics and took part in contestation, but only now. As a member of a political party, it was several years ago. I am a member of the Honorary Council of the Golkar Party. I represent the family because the late Mr (BJ. Habibie) was one of the founders of the Golkar Party. So there is no task there.

As a Candidate for Governor, what is your vision and mission?

I returned to Indonesia to build the nation and state through the field I master (an aircraft manufacturing expert) and become an entrepreneur. People need a good economy because it can create jobs. A good economy can prevent online gambling, stunting and other safety issues.

As a nation, we have a big vision of making Indonesia golden by 2045. For this we need a strong industry. There is no developed country that is not supported by strong industry. But that's not everything, what is no less important is education and health. Then agriculture, plantations, fisheries and tourism are also important. With industrialization we will work more systematically based on data. A good example is Korea, whose independence was only a day apart from ours. But now Korea is 10 times bigger than Indonesia. How come? Those who do not have natural resources, but optimize human resources. Their industry is advanced. Now what is also advancing is culture; Drakor, K-Pop, and Korean music.

In the Soeharto era we chose the aircraft industry, but currently it is not paid attention to. What's your response?

The aircraft manufacturing industry is very complex, and we can. The proof is there. We should be more confident in our mastery of the aircraft manufacturing industry, because other industries are not as complex as aircraft manufacturing. I don't know why it wasn't noticed.

For regional elections, why did you choose West Java?

For me, West Java has a lot of history. The first time I returned from abroad, I lived in Bandung, for 13 years I lived there because I worked at IPTN (now PTDI). I also teach at ITB, then one of my children was born in Bandung. Finally I did business in West Java. And I have a lot of relatives in West Java, when the first Eid was in Jakarta, I went to Bandung that night, because I was going to my uncle and aunt's house. I know Bandung not as an observer, but I was once a resident, had an ID card.

I explained earlier that industry is a catalyst in transformation for a nation. West Java has 50% of the industry in Indonesia. There are two corridors, Bekasi-Cikampek and Jakarta-Sukabumi, as well as one cluster in Bandung. West Java will be the spearhead for Indonesia's gold. West Java also has many of the best universities in the country; there are ITB, IPB, UI (Depok), Unpad, and various polytechnics and vocational schools. So West Java is a combination of strong industry and a good place for education. In West Java there are also technology-based industries; PT. Inti, PT. Len, PT. Pindad, PT. Dahana, PT. Telkom, PT. Railway, and PT. Post (under transformation). This is the precursor to becoming a strong industry.

Why isn't the legislature the choice?

In my opinion, the legislature does not solve the problem. He makes policies and regulations. I am more interested as an executive, who executes directly.

Who inspired you to enter politics, Mr Habibie?

You're a technocrat, I'm the same. He only entered real politics after becoming Vice President and President. When he became a minister, he focused more on the field he handled. At that time, ministerial positions were not as political as they are now. But when you were president, I was not involved, at that time I worked in Bandung. At the weekend I met Dad in Jakarta, at that time I was studying politics. After you left office, I discussed and learned a lot from you.

The offer to become Deputy Governor came now or was there previously but you refused?

There was no previous offer, and I never refused. It all started when my friends talked about what they planned to do this year. There is a brother who proposed to take part in the regional head competition. I said okay, we'll see the party's reaction. It turns out that the reaction was very fast from Nasdem. After a week of meeting with the Chairman of the West Java Nasdem Party DPW, Mr. Saan Mustopa, and his team, a week later I received a recommendation. After that, it received approval from the Nasdem DPP. Even though it's fast, everything goes through a process.

Before deciding to move forward, did you do a survey?

If I don't do that, I won't know the internal affairs of the Nasdem Party.

In elections, a person must be known, then liked and finally elected. As a technocrat, you are known to the upper class, but the problem is that the majority of our voters are mostly lower class, what will you do?

What my team and I did were air attacks, via online media, television, radio and social media. Several billboards will also be made at a number of strategic points in West Java. We haven't been able to socialize on a massive scale because we don't have a partner or party that will support us. There has been an approach with PKS and PKB, but they have not agreed, it is still an ongoing process. After registering on August 27 2024, socialization can be more intensive. Currently, I am meeting with a number of organizations to get to know each other. I also attend events held by mass organizations, campuses, etc.

Apart from that, there are two very significant groups in West Java, Islamic boarding schools or religious groups and sports groups, have they been included in your agenda?

The biggest and most influential sports group in West Java supports Persib or Bobotoh. I will meet and approach them. For the Islamic boarding school, we have already scheduled it. Please note that I have been active in ICMI (Indonesian Muslim Scholars Association) for 31 years. I also co-founded the Indonesian Muslim Scholars Association. For Islamic boarding schools, the data I got in West Java was more than 13,000, more than the combined Islamic boarding schools in East Java (5,000) and Central Java (4,000).

What other problems in West Java are crucial and must be addressed immediately?

Firstly, regarding education, in my opinion, it must be in line with industry needs. Second, regarding MSMEs, they need to be involved in future industrial planning. MSMEs must move up in class, they can become suppliers or they can become larger industries. There are around 64 million Micro Enterprises, these will benefit from additional job opportunities. Factors that need to be considered are funding and marketing. Third, about the environment. In West Java, the Citarum river is extremely polluted due to industry along the river. This must be addressed.

Money politics is still a scourge in Indonesia, how do you deal with this?

Money politics is not an easy thing to overcome. Because there are many people involved, the team and I can't control everything. I don't like that, but the reality on the ground is like that.

You are now in politics, what about your business?

For business, I have delegated it to partners or work partners, for several years. Currently, I am only a commissioner. So it doesn't matter if you enter politics.

Many regional heads are trapped in corruption. Sometimes they are not corrupt, but the surrounding environment makes them do it. How do you deal with this situation?

Not only officials, many businessmen are also involved in corruption. Not everyone who gets involved in politics plays dirty.

Did the late Mr. Habibie ever direct you into politics?

Never. As for principles, yes, and they can be applied in any field. You never said that he was a politician even though he had been President and Vice President.

Now regarding the R-80 aircraft program, how is it going?

I'm temporarily freezing the R-80 project. I want to see first whether the new government has support or not, because the current government does not have support. We don't have the money and capabilities to handle a project as complex as the R-80 ourselves. In the early days, Airbus was also supported by the government, but now it can be independent after several decades.

This R-80 aircraft is a bridge while PTDI is not developing this type of aircraft. The problem is that for a region like Indonesia, the most appropriate type of aircraft is the R-80. If the plane is too small, not many airlines will use it, so the market is not promising.

Previously, there was a time to raise public funds for the R-80 aircraft, how much did you get?

At that time, together with Kitabisa.com, we received IDR 10 billion from the public. That's called crowdfunding, this is to show the government and investors that this project is fully supported by the community.

Your prediction for the new government, will it support the R-80 program?

I don't know the specifics of the support yet, but my prediction is that the new government will focus on industry. Moreover, Mr. Prabowo said he wanted economic growth to be 8%. So it must be supported by industry, otherwise we will stop at 5% growth.

Big players in the aircraft industry already control the market. Where do you think our faults are?

The problem we can aim for is propeller planes. In the world, there is only one main player; ATR. And their biggest market is in Indonesia. We would be fools if we couldn't take advantage of existing flaws, so it would be someone else who takes our market.

We already have PTDI which can make propeller planes, but why do local airlines still use ATR production planes?

Because there was no choice, they went to ATR too. This is where R-80 could be the answer. Moreover, the biggest market for propeller aircraft is in Indonesia. Don't doubt our expert abilities, we can make it. The plane we made has already flown and is headed for certification, but it was stopped because of the monetary crisis.

So you are optimistic?

Yes, we have to be optimistic, but we have to focus. Don't be too hasty to be like Boeing or Airbus. It took a long time to get there like them. The one in front of your eyes is this R-80. China alone has started, but it hasn't reached that level yet. We can dream so we can progress and have the motivation to achieve it.

Ilham Akbar Habibie and Efforts to Maintain Father's Legacy

Couple BJ. Habibie and Hasri Ainun Besari were blessed with two sons; Ilham Akbar Habibie and Tariq Kemal Habibie. Having both pursued the world of engineering as engineers, now Ilham is following in his parents' footsteps and entering the political stage. He is a candidate for governor of West Java from the NasDem Party for the 2024 regional elections.

Every day Ilham wears two watches at once. The first is a Rolex brand watch on his right arm and the second is a modern watch (Apple Watch) on his left arm. “As for why I have two watches, this has a history. This is a watch inherited from my father. "He was still wearing this watch when he died," said the man born in Aachen, West Germany, May 16 1963.

There was a special message from the late BJ Habibie so that he would always wear this watch. “My father specifically ordered me to always wear this watch. He said, "Ilham, if I die, please wear this watch to always remember me," he imitated his father's words.

Because of his father's will, Ilham will forever wear the inherited watch. "I promise to wear this watch forever," he stressed while showing the watch that was wrapped around his arm.

Why wasn't it your younger brother, Tariq Habibie, who was given the watch? “Yes, because my sister doesn't like wearing watches. Father said that if I gave it to Tariq he didn't like watches. "That's why my father bequeathed this watch to me," he continued.

Meanwhile, on the right is a contemporary Apple-branded watch. “Through this hour I can know my schedule and also when important messages come in. "Without having to open my cell phone, I can find out my schedule and incoming messages," said Ilham, who is often asked by colleagues and relatives about whether he wears a watch on his left and right arm at the same time.

Learning Piano Since Childhood

According to Ilham Akbar Habibie, since childhood he was directed to study classical piano by his father and mother. “Father and mother wants me to learn piano. Since the age of 5 I have been bought a classical piano. And I studied with a special teacher," he said, adding that the piano he had used since childhood is still there.

Because of his persistence in learning the piano, little Ilham took part in a piano competition in West Germany which was attended by participants from all over Europe. “I participated three times, and three times also entered the final round. But I never came first, only fourth or fifth," he recalled. "At that time, because I was still small, my legs hadn't reached the bottom yet, hehehe," he continued.

Based on his piano teacher's assessment, Ilham is most suitable when playing compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. “My teacher said I was most suited to Mozart's works. My playing style and my feeling best suit Mozart," he said.

Habibie and his piano teacher had an argument about Ilham's future. “My piano teacher wanted me to be a pianist, he asked me not to go to a regular school. But studied at a conservatory that specifically studied piano. Meanwhile, my father firmly said that in our family there are engineers, doctors, lawyers, no musicians. The debate was finally over, then I was transferred to a school where the teachers were not too ambitious to direct me to become a pianist," he said.

Did Mr. Habibie direct you to pursue aircraft manufacturing? “Since I was little, I have been interested in the world of engineering apart from music. I already told you, that I like pure physics, astrophysics (astrology physics) and physics related to particle physics (which studies atoms and sub-atomics), and another thing about aviation," he said.

Because I will be directed to return to Indonesia and help build the nation, BJ. Habibie then directed him to pursue aviation engineering. “The problem is that for pure physics, astrophysics and particle physics it is difficult to find work. Father suggested to pursue aeronautical engineering. Because that industry will exist in Indonesia, Father suggested to me," said Ilham, who then entered the aviation engineering campus after high school.

After graduating from the Technical University of Munich, West Germany (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Sub-Faculty of Aeronautical Engineering, completed 1986), he continued on to the Diploma–Ingenieur (Technical University of Munich, West Germany, completed 1987) with cum laude predicate. After that, Ilham took a Doctorate–Ingenieur degree (Technical University of Munich, Germany) with the title summa cum laude, finishing in 1994. In accordance with the field of science he pursued, Ilham once worked at Boeing, the aircraft manufacturing giant. But finally he returned to Indonesia and became Marketing Director of IPTN (now PTDI).

Mother's Upbringing Still Makes an Impression

Because his father was very busy with office work, according to Ilham, his mother was the one who operationally educated him. “I learned all about taking care of the house and cooking from my mother. Independence was really instilled by the mother. In Germany we don't have housemaids. I had a maid for a year but didn't feel like living in Germany. In the end we had to work together to complete the homework. There were me and Tariq and two cousins ​​who lived with us; Budi and Adre," he said.

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According to Ilham, his mother was very disciplined in educating him and Tariq and his two cousins. “Mother doesn't talk much, but she is very disciplined. Apart from giving direction, she also set a good example for us. I learned to clean the house, clean the bathroom, iron and so on from my mother," said Ilham, who speaks German, English and Indonesian with his mother, and German with his father. "Except when we are with other people, we speak Indonesian," he added.

Being the son of BJ Habibie, said Ilham Akbar Habibie, has its advantages and its hardships. "It's easy if you want to meet people, or if you are often given the opportunity because you know that I am my father's son. But there are bigger expectations from people on me. Well, this is a burden for me," he said.

"I have temporarily frozen the R-80 project. I want to see whether the new government has support or not, because the current government doesn't have support. We don't have the money or ability to handle a project as complex as the R-80 ourselves. When it first started, Airbus is also supported by the government, now it can be independent after several decades,"