It has never been easy for people from minority groups to penetrate Indonesia’s political scene, with top political seats in the country largely filled by people of the majority religion and ethnicity. So when Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent from the small town of Belitung Timur in Bangka Belitung, was inaugurated as the governor of Jakarta in November 2014, it was considered a political milestone in the country. It took a decade for Ahok to secure the top seat at the capital since he started his political career in 2004, when he ran for a seat at Belitung Timur Regional Council (DPRD). After slowly building his political career for a decade, Ahok has finally stepped out of the political spotlight, at least for now, as he submitted a letter of resignation from his position as Jakarta governor to President Joko “Jokowi&rdquo...

LOG IN

Don't have an account? Register here

Forgot Password ?

Log in with your social account

• Facebook
• Google
• Linkedin