Profile of Abdul Kadir Karding, former legislator now leading Barantin

Abdul Kadir Karding is a politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB) with a long track record as a legislator before being inaugurated as Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday. Karding served as a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) for three terms, from 2009 to 2024, with involvement in discussions on various public policies. In his political career, he is known for actively handling labour issues and the protection of migrant workers, which led to him being entrusted as Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI). He served as minister at the beginning of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration before undergoing a replacement in 2025. In addition to his experience in the legislative and executive branches, he is also a long-time PKB cadre who has been active at the national level. This track record serves as capital in leading the Indonesian Quarantine Agency, which has a strategic role in supervising the movement of animal, fish, and plant commodities. The agency also serves as the front line in maintaining national biosecurity and supporting food security. With this background, Karding is expected to be able to strengthen cross-sectoral coordination in the national quarantine system while supporting the smooth flow of commodity trade.