From Survey Institution to KSP and Now Head of Bakom: Muhammad Qodari
President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated Muhammad Qodari as the Head of the Republic of Indonesia Government Communication Agency (Bakom RI), replacing Angga Raka Prabowo.
Previously, this man born in Palembang, South Sumatra, on 15 October 1973, served as Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP).
Muhammad Qodari is known to the public as a political observer and leading researcher. His face and analyses frequently appear on television screens and in the pages of national mass media.
Qodari’s capacity to dissect the national political landscape is supported by a strong academic foundation.
He completed his undergraduate degree (S-1) at Universitas Indonesia (UI), before travelling to England to obtain a Master’s degree (S-2) from the University of Essex.
He then completed his doctoral programme (S-3) at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). He successfully earned his Doctorate in 2016 with a very satisfactory predicate.
In his dissertation, he sharply analysed voter dynamics through research titled “Split-Ticket Voting and the Factors Explaining It in the 2014 Indonesian Legislative and Presidential Elections”.
Qodari’s career trajectory spans across the intersections of research, journalism, and mass communication.
From May 1999 to September 2001, he began his journey as a researcher at the Institute for the Study of Information Flow (ISAI).
In addition to skilfully processing data behind the desk, Qodari also has a track record in the broadcasting industry. He once served as the host of “Negeri Setengah Demokrasi” and “Suara Rakyat” on one of the private television stations.
His ability to manage political literacy was also proven when he served as Chief Editor of Majalah Kandidat, Campaign and Election Magazine, from 2003 to 2005.
His sharpness in reading electoral numbers and public opinion trends was further honed when he entered the survey institution industry.
He is recorded as having held the position of Research Director at Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI) from July 2003 to June 2005.
His journey continued with serving as Deputy Executive Director at Lingkaran Survei Indonesia (LSI) until October 2006.
Armed with extensive flight hours and mature experience in various leading research institutions, Qodari finally took a major step in November 2006.
He founded an independent survey institution named Indo Barometer and served as Executive Director. Through this institution, his name has increasingly shone as one of the most influential political analysts in Indonesia.