The 'Kennedys of Java': Families in politics

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Kendal

Former Kendal regent Hendy Boendoro recalls an event in 1965, which he says was a determining point in his political career.

Currently contesting the regental election in the Central Java town of Kendal, he was just a child when he and his brothers witnessed a large meeting of Indonesian National Party members just outside their house in Cangkiran village.

"At that time, it was so crowded. The meeting was first held in Kendal for the Central Java area, and attended by the party's Central Java chairman Hadi Soebeno. I was so impressed," said Hendy when he was interviewed by The Jakarta Post in his house in Cangkiran, Mijen.

Of course, Hendy added, the meeting was held in Cangkiran probably because Soegito, Hendy's father, was the party's secretary.

To this day, he is unsure whether it was the political education from their parents -- politician Soegito and midwife Roestyawati -- or their personal interest in politics which led to five of the family's seven children, all boys, choosing politics as their profession.

Hendy's brother Pupung Suharis is a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while Hendy, who chairs the party's Kendal chapter, served as Kendal regent between 1999-2004.

His other brother, Don Murdono, was a legislator and is currently serving as the regent of Sumedang, West Java, while Yuwanto, a councilor in Semarang city is now running for the position of deputy mayor. Hendy's youngest brother, Murdoko, meanwhile, is a speaker of the Central Java provincial council and also chairs PDI-P's Central Java chapter.

"Maybe we can be said as the Kennedys van Java," said Hendy with a grin, referring to the famous American political family.

Murdoko, who joined the interview, greeted his remark with a laugh. "Yes. You can say it that way, the Kennedys of Java," he said, with a hint of pride.

The two brothers who did not follow their father into politics are civil servant Bariyanto and Alan Donny Mudianto, who works for a foreign company.

"Actually our father did not directly teach us about politics," Hendy said. "What our father wanted was for us to be independent. Since we were little, we were never taken to school. We even registered at elementary school ourselves. Our parents just came to pick up the school reports."

Murdoko said his father also taught the seven boys how to be persistent, which he said was demonstrated in the brothers' continued support of the PDIP when it was under pressure during the New Order regime.

Soegito died in 1980, without experiencing the party's glory when its leader Megawati Soekarnoputri became the country's fifth president.

Murdoko recalled that Soegito, a Yogyakartan native who was born in 1911, studied in a school that later became the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1930. "It's a sort of diploma program now, but at that time, it was high education. He also insisted that we study, although he was a village man," he said.

All the seven siblings finished their undergraduate studies and pursued their postgraduate degrees. Hendy is currently working to finish his Doctorate in Law at the Semarang-based Diponegoro University.

The similar political interests and education of the brothers meant family gatherings frequently turned into "hot" political debates, Hendy said.

"It's like a sharing of political views during our meetings once a month. We're used to criticizing one another and offering suggestions," Hendy said.

With all this family support, it is easy to wonder whether nepotism or other undue influence has helped the brothers' rise in politics, with these questions asked most recently when Don Murdono became Sumedang regent. "It was not out of the blue," Murdoko says. "Mas Don first became a legislator and then he was asked to become Sumedang regent. Besides, our mother is a native of Sumedang."

With two of the siblings currently running for regional office in elections this month, the Post asked, did the brothers help each other out financially?

"No such thing. We have to cover our own financial costs. That was our father's wish; for us to be independent," Hendy said.

"It's wrong if people think that we practice nepotism. For example, I, the youngest in the family, have just started my political career -- later -- but politically, my position is much better than Mas Hendy or Mas Yuyun (Yuwanto)," Murdoko added.

The brothers, however, are not the only political families contesting the elections.

Bambang Raya Saputra, a Semarang city councilor from the Golkar Party, is running in the upcoming Semarang mayoral race. His brother, Kokok Raya, meanwhile, is the mayor of the East Java town of Madiun -- a PDI-P member who previously served as speaker for the Madiun municipal council.

The family connections continue, with Bambang paired with Chomsiyati Soetrisno Suharto, a wife of former Semarang mayor Soetrisno Suharto, who finished his office term in 1999.

"In my family there're five of us, all men. It's no coincidence we grew up in a political environment, in this case, the Indonesian National Party in Madiun. So we're not new to politics," Bambang told the Post, adding that the brothers' membership of different political parties was "not an issue".

As Plato said, politics is life, and in some cases this life proves to be stronger than marriage. One example is former husband and wife team Sukawi Sutarip and Endang Setyaningsih, who were divorced in 1989, but continue separately to serve their constituents.

Sukawi was elected as Semarang mayor in 2005 and is now running for reelection after finishing his office term early this year, while Endang is now regent for the neighboring region of Demak.