MenPAN-RB Tjahjo Kumolo Dies In Today's Memory, July 1, 2022

Tjahjo Kumolo, who was MenPAN-RB for the 2019-2022 era. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, three years ago, July 1, 2022, the Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform (MenPAN-RB), Tjahjo Kumolo passed away. His passing brings deep condolences. Condolences emerged from various national figures.

Previously, Tjahjo was known as a seasoned politician. He was able to become the best cadre of the political party he joined. He once shined with Golkar. He also shined with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).

Tjahjo Kumolo is not new to the world of Indonesian politics. The man who was born in Surakarta, December 1, 1957, has stepped foot in politics since the New Order era. He chose to join the political vehicle belonging to the New Order rulers, Golkar.

This existence made Tjahjo a representative of the people since 1987. He learned many things as a politician. He also saw how injustice was in the New Order era. This condition made him then choose to move to PDIP when the New Order collapsed.

He saw PDIP with a mission to bring the voice of a wong cilik according to its political direction. His political career with PDIP was brilliant. He became an important person in PDIP. He has won the various strategic positions of the party. He even served as Secretary General of PDIP.

His career became even more flashy when PDIP cadre Joko Widodo (Jokowi) became President of Indonesia since 2014. Tjahjo is not only busy in the party. He was appointed by Jokowi as minister. Not once but twice.

Initially, Tjahjo was appointed by Jokowi to be Minister of Home Affairs from the 2014-2019 era. Tjahjo held a different position when Jokowi entered the second period. He was appointed as MenPAN-RB. His position as a senior politician is respected. However, that does not mean Tjahjo feels happy.

He is actually known as a humble figure. He dared to put up his body claiming to be wrong if what he did was wrong.

Take for example when Tjahjo tried to share a pirated film link with the theme of struggle on his social media. he admitted that he had circulated the link from the film Janur Kuning (1979) to the Fajar Information (1982).

"I was protested by one of the national directors because I was considered to be circulating illegal films. I didn't know that on YouTube there were illegal and not illegal. Formally, there was nothing wrong. An apology was also right because it was in the ethical scope," said Tjahjo as quoted by Mahardika Satria Hadi in his writing in Tempo magazine entitled Kena Tegur (2020).

Tjahjo's existence must end. An aging age and organ complications have disrupted his performance as minister. This condition has recently worsened. At its peak, Tjahjo died at Abdi Waluyo Hospital, Menteng, Central Jakarta on July 1, 2022.

Tjahjo's departure brings deep sorrow to all of the archipelago. Various political figures began to convey their condolences. President Jokowi did not forget to express his condolences. He remembers Tjahjo as a big political figure.

"I was on a visit abroad when I heard the sad news from the country that Mr. Tjahjo Kumolo had passed away to Rahmatullah in Jakarta on Friday at 11.10 WIB. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun."

"During his lifetime, the late Tjahjo Kumolo was a youth figure, politician, and passed away at the peak of his service to the state as Minister of Administrative Reform and Bureaucratic Reform," Jokowi said as quoted on the detik.com page, June 1, 2022.