Career highlights

Career highlights

Akbar was active in the Indonesian Muslim Student Association
(HMI) and the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI), while
he was studying at the technological school of the University of
Indonesia. He was also active in the national movement (KAMMI-UI
and Laskar Ampera Arief Rachman Hakim), which was formed to
counter the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). He was elected as
leader of HMI in 1972 and leader of KNPI in 1978.

Golkar elected him as deputy to the secretary-general in 1983
and leader from 1988 throughout 2005.

During Soeharto's administration, he served as state minister
for sports and youth affairs from 1988 through 1993 and minister
of housing affairs for the next five years. He was appointed as
minister/state secretary in Habibie's Cabinet from 1998 through
1999 and House speaker from 1999 to 2004. --JP