Bobby Nasution

Summary

Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution (born 5 July 1991) is an Indonesian businessman and politician currently serving as Medan's mayor. He is the son-in-law of President Joko Widodo.

Bobby Nasution
18th Mayor of Medan
Assumed office
26 February 2021
DeputyAulia Rachman
Preceded byAkhyar Nasution
Personal details
Born (1991-07-05) 5 July 1991 (age 32)
Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
PDI-P (2019–2023)
Spouse
Kahiyang Ayu
(m. 2017)
RelationsJoko Widodo (father-in-law)
Children
  • Sedah Mirah Nasution
  • Panembahan Al Nahyan Nasution
  • Panembahan Al Saud Nasution
Alma materBogor Agricultural Institute

Early life and education edit

Nasution was born on 5 July 1991 in Medan, North Sumatra, as the last of three siblings in a Batak family. His father Erwin Nasution had been the president and director of the state-owned plantation company PTPN IV. Nasution went to elementary school in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, then middle and high school in Bandar Lampung. He studied agribusiness at university, obtaining his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Bogor Agricultural Institute.[1]

Business career edit

In 2011, Nasution began working in the real estate industry, initially repairing and reselling homes, then building some homes and being involved in larger projects. By 2016, he joined the real estate Takke Group as a marketing director through the introduction of his father. Outside of real estate, Nasution had briefly worked as a manager for the football club Medan Jaya in 2014.[1]

Political career edit

Mayor of Medan edit

Nasution submitted a bid to run as a mayoral candidate for his hometown of Medan in the 2020 Indonesian local elections through Jokowi's political party PDI-P. This caused multiple observers to suggest that a political dynasty was being established, which Nasution denied.[2] In the ensuing months, he visited Gerindra chairman Prabowo Subianto and National Mandate Party chairman Zulkifli Hasan to gather support for his candidacy, in addition to registering with Golkar.[3] He had officially become a cadre of PDI-P in March 2020.[4] He was elected Mayor of Medan in December 2020, after winning 54.5% of the votes and defeating incumbent mayor Akhyar Nasution.[5]

Personal life edit

While studying for his master's degree in Bogor, Nasution met Kahiyang Ayu, daughter of incumbent president Joko Widodo (Jokowi). They dated for around a year after they met in 2015, and the two married in November 2017, through a ceremony in Jokowi's hometown of Surakarta which was attended by some 7,000 live guests and watched by millions of people.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Resmi Jadi Mantu Presiden Jokowi, Ini Pekerjaan Bobby Nasution". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 9 November 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  2. ^ "What political dynasty? Jokowi's son-in-law says bid for Medan mayor is for development". The Jakarta Post. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Sekjen Optimistis PAN Dukung Bobby Nasution di Pilkada Medan". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). 15 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Bobby Nasution Bergabung Jadi Kader PDIP". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 12 March 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Bobby Nasution Ditetapkan Jadi Wali Kota Medan Hari Ini". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 18 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Joy in Solo as Jokowi's daughter ties the knot". The Straits Times. 8 November 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2020.