Rama Alexander Asia
Rama Alexander Asia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Regent of West Kutai | |
| In office 12 October 1999 – 19 April 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Ismail Thomas |
| Member of East Kalimantan DPRD | |
| In office 1 September 2014 – 2 December 2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 September 1945 |
| Political party | Hanura |
Rama Alexander Asia (born 17 September 1945) is an Indonesian politician and former bureaucrat who served as the first regent of West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, from the regency's formation in October 1999 until April 2006. He also served for some time as a member of the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives.
Early life
Rama Alexander Asia was born on 17 September 1945. After completing high school in Banjarbaru, he studied agricultural science at the Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java.[1]
Career
Rama began to work as a civil servant starting in 1964, initially within municipal agricultural departments. By 1989, he had become head of East Kalimantan's investment agency, a position he held until 1999.[1]
On 12 October 1999, he was appointed as provisional regent of the newly formed West Kutai Regency.[1] His initial task was forming a municipal government for the new regency, and setting up government facilities ranging from public offices to a new municipal hospital. He also aimed to improve land connectivity of the regency, much of which was only accessible by boat from the provincial capital of Samarinda early in his tenure.[1][2] In 2001, the newly formed West Kutai Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) voted to make Rama regent for the 2001–2006 term, with Ismail Thomas being elected his vice regent.[3] He received the Satyalancana Pembangunan medal in 2005 for his work in West Kutai.[1]
During his term, Rama was a supporter of community forestry, limiting the issuance of commercial forest exploitation permits starting in 2001 and forming a working group of government officials and community leaders for local forestry management. He also attempted to allow community forestry permits issued by West Kutai be valid for 100 years, in violation of national regulations (which allowed a maximum permit length of 25 years).[4] Rama also attempted to promote palm oil development, supporting the establishment of a processing plant within the regency.[4] A land conflict between local Dayaks and a logging company flared up in 1999, with Rama eventually issuing regulations on compensation fees to locals from the company.[5]
Post-regency
In 2006, Rama ran for a second term in the regency's first direct election, but was defeated by Ismail Thomas.[6] He made another attempt for a second term in West Kutai in 2011, again losing to Thomas.[7] He was elected as a member of the East Kalimantan Regional House of Representatives from the People's Conscience Party following the 2014 Indonesian legislative election,[8] but he resigned in 2015 to make a third run for a second term.[9] He placed third in 2015 out of four candidates with 21,154 votes (25.5%), with Fransiskus Xaverius Yapan winning the election.[10] In 2019, he founded the "Rama Center" in preparation for the 2020 regency election,[11] but eventually did not run.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e Putra, R. Masri Sareb (2014). 101 Tokoh Dayak yang Mengukir Sejarah (in Indonesian). pp. 120–122. ISBN 978-1-312-30228-0.
- ^ Casson, Anne (1 January 2001). Decentralisation of Policies Affecting Forests and Estate Crops in Kutai Barat District, East Kalimantan. CIFOR. p. 2. ISBN 978-979-8764-82-0.
- ^ "Sejarah Pembentukan Kabupaten Kutai Barat" (in Indonesian). West Kutai Regency Government. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ a b Cooke, Fadzilah Majid (1 July 2006). State, Communities and Forests in Contemporary Borneo. ANU E Press. pp. 79–83. ISBN 978-1-920942-52-6.
- ^ Gunawan, I. Ketut (2004). The Politics of the Indonesian Rainforest: A Rise of Forest Conflicts in East Kalimantan During Indonesia's Early Stage of Democratisation. Cuvillier Verlag. p. 254. ISBN 978-3-86537-280-2.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "'Kita Teruskan' Menang Satu Putaran di Kutai Barat". Rmol.id (in Indonesian). 24 January 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "55 Anggota DPRD Kaltim Dilantik". ANTARA News Kalimantan Timur (in Indonesian). 1 September 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ "Tiga Anggota DPRD Kaltim Resmi Diganti". ANTARA News Kalimantan Timur (in Indonesian). 2 December 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ "KEPUTUSAN KOMISI PEMILIHAN UMUM KABUPATEN KUTAI BARAT NOMOR: 53/Kpts/KPU-KUBAR/021.436101/2015" (PDF) (in Indonesian). General Elections Commission. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "Rama Center, Siap Menampung Aspirasi Masyarakat Kubar". penasatu.com (in Indonesian). 29 July 2019.
- ^ "Rekapitulasi KPU, Yakan Unggul 49.141 Suara dalam Pilkada Kubar 9 Desember 2020". poskotakaltimnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 10 August 2025.