Ismail Thomas

Ismail Thomas
Thomas as a DPR member
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
1 October 2019 – 15 August 2023
Succeeded byAndhika Hasan
ConstituencyEast Kalimantan
Majority49,174
2nd Regent of West Kutai
In office
19 April 2006 – 19 April 2016
Preceded byRama Alexander Asia
Succeeded byFransiskus Xaverius Yapan
Personal details
Born (1955-01-31) 31 January 1955
West Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Political partyPDI-P (until 2023)

Ismail Thomas (born 31 January 1955) is an Indonesian politician formerly of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). He was a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) from 2019 to 2023 and regent of West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan for two terms between 2006 and 2016. He was removed from DPR and fired from PDI-P in 2023 due to a corruption case.

Early life

Ismail Thomas was born in the village of Linggah Melapeh, today in West Kutai Regency, on 31 January 1955 to Yohannes Benedictus Leneq and Albina Rentik. He studied at the W.R. Soepratman Catholic school, graduating from high school in 1973. He then resumed his education by studying for a diploma in law at 17 August 1945 University Samarinda. He would later obtain a bachelor's degree (2003) at the Jakarta Law Institute and a master's in public admninistration (2009) at Mulawarman University.[1][2]

Career

Thomas began to work for PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (a Rio Tinto owned company) in 1990 as a supervisor. In 2000, he joined the newly formed West Kutai Regency's Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) as a PDI-P member. The following year, he would be elected to become vice regent of Rama Alexander Asia.[2][3]

In 2006, when West Kutai held its first ever direct regency election, Thomas ran with the backing of PDI-P and PAN with Didik Effendi as his running mate. The pair won the election after securing 27,639 votes, defeating Rama,[4] and they were sworn in as regent and vice regent on 19 April 2006.[5] They were reelected in 2011.[6] Thomas would be succeeded by Fransiskus Xaverius Yapan in 2016, who had led Thomas' campaign teams in 2006 and 2011 and received Thomas' endorsement for his own electoral run.[7]

During his tenure as regent, Thomas gave official recognition to the pakaatn nyahuq ritual of the Benuaq Dayak people, turning it into an official annual event.[8] There were significant disputes between local Dayaks and palm oil plantation/coal mining companies during his tenure, with several locals who claimed to have lost their lands protesting against Thomas. Thomas in turn claimed that the protesters were supporters of his opponent in the 2010 election.[9] Thomas had begun issuing land concessions to the companies in January 2010.[10]

After the end of his regency, Thomas considered a run in the 2018 East Kalimantan gubernatorial election,[11] before instead running in the 2019 Indonesian general election and winning a seat in the House of Representatives covering East Kalimantan's at-large district with 49,174 votes.[12]

Corruption case

On 15 August 2023, the Attorney General's Office of Indonesia announced Thomas' designation of a suspect in a corruption case involving the issuance of a mining permit.[13] He was found guilty of falsifying documents in order to get the permit,[14] and he was sentenced to one year's prison in February 2024.[15] Following an appeal, his sentence was reduced to one year's detention within city limits. Prosecutors had initially sought a five-year sentence.[16]

He was fired by PDI-P and lost his DPR seat due to the case, and he was replaced by Andhika Hasan.[17]

Personal life

He is a Catholic.[18] He is married to Lusia Mayo Thomas,[19] and the couple has two sons. The younger son, Frederick Edwin, was elected West Kutai's regent in 2024, defeating the older son Alexander Edmond (who ran as another candidate's running mate).[20]

References

  1. ^ Safitri, Eva (15 August 2023). "Profil Ismail Thomas, Legislator PDIP Tersangka Korupsi Kasus Tambang". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Profil dan Biodata Ismail Thomas, Anggota DPR Kaltim Tersangka Pemalsuan Izin Tambang". iNews.ID (in Indonesian). 16 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  3. ^ Wihardandi, Aji (30 November 2013). "Jatam Kaltim: 77 Juta Ton Limbah Tambang PT KEM Ancam DAS Mahakam". Mongabay.co.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  4. ^ MA, Dr Guno Tri Tjahjoko (8 February 2020). Uang Makan Orang: Politik Etnis dan Politik Uang dalam Pilkada (in Indonesian). Pohon Tua Pustaka. p. 206. ISBN 978-602-5640-86-5.
  5. ^ "Sejarah Pembentukan Kabupaten Kutai Barat" (in Indonesian). Kutai Barat Regency Government. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  6. ^ "'Kita Teruskan' Menang Satu Putaran di Kutai Barat". Rmol.id (in Indonesian). 24 January 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  7. ^ Menggo, Sebastianus; Lon, Yohanes Servatius; Widyawati, Fransiska; Yuliantari, Ans Prawati; Rahim, Robbi (27 August 2021). ICEHHA 2021: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Education, Humanities, Health and Agriculture, ICEHHA 2021, 3-4 June 2021, Ruteng, Flores, Indonesia. European Alliance for Innovation. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-63190-701-2.
  8. ^ Arenz, Cathrin; Haug, Michaela; Seitz, Stefan; Venz, Oliver (27 April 2017). Continuity under Change in Dayak Societies. Springer. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-3-658-18295-3.
  9. ^ Suku Dayak dan Kehidupan Setelah Era Reformasi (in Indonesian). Tempo Publishing. 1 January 2020. p. 94–101. ISBN 978-623-262-864-9.
  10. ^ "Dayak Benuaq Berjuang Melawan Perusakan Hutan Mereka". beritasatu.com (in Indonesian). 26 January 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Mantan Bupati Kubar Ini Ambil Formulir untuk Bursa Cawagub Kaltim". Tribunkaltim.co (in Indonesian). 2 June 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Besok Mantan Bupati Kubar Ismael Thomas Dilantik Jadi Anggota DPR RI". Swarakaltim.com (in Indonesian). 30 September 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  13. ^ Nufus, Wilda Hayatun; Naibaho, Rumondang (15 August 2023). "Kejagung Tetapkan Anggota DPR Ismail Thomas Tersangka, Langsung Ditahan". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  14. ^ Budi, Mulia (2 November 2023). "Anggota DPR Ismail Thomas Didakwa Palsukan Dokumen Terkait Izin Tambang". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  15. ^ "Eks Legislator Ismail Thomas hanya Divonis 1 Tahun di Kasus Korupsi Izin Tambang, Jaksa Banding". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). 6 February 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  16. ^ "Dituntut 5 Tahun Penjara, Eks Bupati Kutai Barat Ismail Thomas Kepergok Tidak Ditahan, Oh Ternyata". siap.viva.co.id (in Indonesian). 28 June 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  17. ^ "Andhika Hasan Resmi Gantikan Ismail Thomas di DPR RI". BeritaKaltim.Co (in Indonesian). 20 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Profil Ismail Thomas, Anggota DPR yang Ditangkap Kejagung". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 16 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  19. ^ "Istri Bupati Kubar Lucia Mayo Bersih-bersih Sekolah". Tribunkaltim.co (in Indonesian). 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Momon vs Edwin: Kakak Adik Bertarung di Pilkada Kubar". RRI.co.id (in Indonesian). 30 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
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