INFLUENCED FIGURE

Mahfud MD, one of person who would inspire the new generation of Madura!

Pofile

Name            : Prof. Dr. Moh. Mahfud MD., S.H.

Born             : at Sampang, Madura

   On May, 13^th 1957 (aged 60)

Nationallity  : Indonesia

Education :

• Bachelor Degree (S1) from the Faculty of Law, Department of State Administrative Law of the Indonesian Islamic University (UII), Yogyakarta (1983)
• Bachelor Degree (S1) from the Faculty of Literature and Culture, Department of Arabic Literature of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta (1983)
• Master as Degree Program (S2) in Political Science at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta (1989)
• Doctoral Program (S3) in State Administrative Law at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta (1993)

Career :

• Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia (2000-2001)
• Minister of Justice and Human Rights (2001), Vice General Chairman of the Tanfidz (Executive) Council of the Central Executive Board (DPP) of the National Awakening Party (PKB) (2002-2005), Rector of Islamic University of Kadiri (2003-2006)
• Member of Commission III of the People as Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (2004-2006)
• Member of Commission I of the People as Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (2006-2007)
• Member of Commission III of the People as Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (2007-2008)
• Vice Chairman of the Legislative Board of the People as Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (2007-2008) Constitutional Court Justice in the First Period (2003-2008)

Prof. Moh. Mahfud MD. embarked on his life journey listening to the story of Prophet Solomon which his father used to retell him frequently. The story about prophet who offered by God three requestwealth and throne, a beautiful woman, or knowledge. He chose knowledge, then he bacame a king, had countless wealth, and a beautiful wife.

Mahfud’s father continued to teach his children the philosophy of the importance of knowledge. Even, his father was prepared to do any work for financing education for Mahfud and his brothers. As a civil servant, Mahfud’s father took a side job, selling tobacco day and night. Sometimes he would work as a fertilizer distributor for farmers in villages. He would not hesitate to look for loans, when the need arose, to ensure that all his children could continue to attend school. 

His father’s passion for education is also reflected in a story about an instance of Mahfud’s misbehavior during his childhood. One time, Mahfud secretly took some money from his father’s pocket. This of course made his father very angry. However, when Mahfud admitted that he had spent the money for buying a book or a religious book, his father’s anger subsided instantly. 

The story of Solomon and his father’s persistence in the struggle for education stimulated Mahfud’s desire and affection for knowledge. Economic constraints did not diminish his obsession for studying up to the highest possible level. As a result, he successfully passed each level of education, ultimately achieving the highest title in education, namely professor (Guru Besar).  

However, professorship was not the end of the road of achievements for Mahfud. On the contrary, he considered the title as a starting point for expanding his horizon of thought and enhancing his writing productivity, especially in the field of politics and state administration.  

Attaining Higher Education through Scholarships  

Mahfud was born from the womb of Siti Khadidjah in a village in Omben District, Sampang, Madura, on May 13, 1957, and was named Mohammad Mahfud. By giving him that name, his father, Mahmodin, expected that the fourth out of his seven children would become a protected person. 

At the time of his birth his father was still a low-ranking employee at the Omben District office, Sampang Regency. When Mahfud was two months old, Mahmodin’s family moved to Pamekasan, their home town. It was there, in Waru District, that Mahfud spent his childhood. 

During that time, Mahfud learnt about Islam at the local mosque and Islamic school. At the age of seven, he enrolled at a Public Elementary School. In the afternoons, he attended to an Islamic Primary School, while at nights till dawn, he was studying about religion at the mosque. Mahfud was then sent to Somber Lagah Islamic Boarding School in Tegangser Laok village, to learn more about religion when he was still in the 5th grade of Elementary School. He continued his education there. 

Somber Lagah Islamic Boarding School is a Salafi Islamic school led by Kiai Mardhiyyan, an alumnus of Temporejo or Temporan Islamic Boarding School. The Islamic school is now called al-Mardhiyyah Islamic Boarding School, named after its founder, Kiai Mardhiyyan, who passed away in the mid 1980s.

Despite his excellent grades in the examinations, Mahfud did not continue his study at a favorite Public Junior High School. His parents sent him to a Public Islamic Religion Teachers’ School (PGA) in Pamekasan. At that time, it turned out that there were three other students having the same name as his. To distinguish him from the other students bearing the same name, Mahfud finally added the initial MD at the end of his name. Accidentally, this name was indicated in his school certificate. Until now, the initial has stayed at the end of Mahfud’s name just like an academic degree of medical doctor, as some people may assume. 

After graduating from the four-year education at PGA in 1974, Mahfud was selected to attend the Public Islamic Judges’ School or Pendidikan Hakim Islam Negeri (PHIN), a favorite vocational school of the Department of Religious Affairs in Yogyakarta, which recruited best graduates from PGA and Madrasah Tsanawiyah (Islamic Junior High Schools) throughout Indonesia. The former Minister of Cooperatives, Zarkasih Noer, former Minister of State Secretary Djohan Effendi, a leading figure of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas Amidhan, and the Deputy Speaker of DPR, Muhaimin Iskandar, are among the alumni of the school. At the present time, PHIN has been changed into Public Islamic Senior High School (Madrasah Aliyah - MAN).

In 1978, Mahfud graduated from PHIN. He subsequently continued his education at the Faculty of Law of the Indonesian Islamic University (UII). At the same time, he also studied to the Department of Arabic Literature of the Faculty of Literature and Culture of Gadjah Mada University (UGM). At the Faculty of Law, Mahfud chose the Department of State Administrative Law. 

By that time, his father had already retired. In order to be able to pay for his tuition fees at two universities, Mahfud was actively contributing articles to public newspapers such as Kedaulatan Rakyat newspaper, receiving honorarium for his work. He was also busy hunting for scholarships. As the best student, Mahfud succeeded in winning scholarships from UII Rector, Dharma Siswa Madura Foundation, and also a scholarship from the Supersemar Foundation. 

Mahfud received full scholarship from UII to continue his studies in a master’s degree program at UGM. At that time, he took political science studies. Subsequently, he received other scholarships from the Supersemar Foundation and from the Doctoral Program Management Team (TMPD) of the Department of Education and Culture to attend a Doctorate (S3) program. Once again, he decided to specialize in state administrative law when studying in the doctorate program at UGM.

The Youngest Professor  

After graduating from the Faculty of Law in 1983, Mahfud worked as a lecturer in his alma mater with the status of Civil Servant. He became convinced at that time that law could not function properly because it was constantly intervened by politics. The energy of politics continued to prevail over the energy of law. As the result of his disappointment over the fact that law was constantly being defeated by political decisions, Mahfud decided that he wanted to study political science. 

He availed himself of the opportunity when it presented itself by attending a Master’s Degree program (S2). He had a great number of discussions with well-known political science lecturers, such as Moeljarto Tjokrowinoto, Mochtar Mas’oed, Ichlasul Amal, Yahya Muhaimin, Amien Rais and others. 

His decision to take up political science with a concentration other than state administrative law was not without consequences, because such an advanced study outside of his field of study was not going to be taken into account for his career rank as a lecturer. Therefore, after graduating from the Master’s Degree program, he continued his studies at the doctorate program (S-3) in State Administrative Law in the Postgraduate Program of UGM, graduating in 1993. 

His doctoral dissertation on legal politics was rather phenomenal. The results of his research have become essential reading material in master’s programs in state administration at a number of universities due to his approach of combining two disciplines, namely law and political science. 

In the history of the doctoral program at UGM, Mahfud has been recorded as a doctoral student who completed the program in a brief period of time. He completed his education in only 2 years and 8 months. Meanwhile, at that time (1993), a doctoral program would be normally completed within approximately 5 years. In Mahfud’s words, this achievement was due to the diligent efforts and support of his promoters, namely Prof. Moeljarto Tjokrowinoto, Prof. Maria SW Sumardjono, and Prof. Affan Gaffar. 

It was also due to the encouragement of his three aforementioned promoters that Mahfud was sent to Columbia University of New York and Northern Illinois University DeKalb in the United States of America, to conduct literature study on politics and law for a year. In New York, he joined Artidjo Alkostar, his senior and former lecturer at the Faculty of Law of UII, who is currently serving as a Supreme Court justice. 

Meanwhile in Illinois, he met Andi A. Mallarangeng, currently the Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs in the Indonesia United Cabinet II. At that time, Andi was the Chairman of the Muslim Association (Perhimpunan Muslim), and Mahfud was given a room in a house which was also used as a mosque and place of gathering for Muslim students from various countries. 

Mahfud has been recorded as the first permanent lecturer of the UII Faculty of Law who received a doctoral degree in 1993. He had a special promotion from the position of expert assistant to the position of intermediate lecturer, a position higher than that of his lecturers and seniors at the university. In fact, some of them later on became his students or worked under his guidance while doing their postgraduate program studies. 

With his extensive academic writings published in books, journals as well as scientific papers, it was not difficult for Mahfud to attain the highest academic title.  He was inaugurated as a professor (Guru Besar), after serving as a lecturer at UII for 12 years.  At the age of 41 years, he was among the youngest professors at his time, together with Yusril Ihza Mahendra.  It is not surprising that by possessing such capacity, he has been trusted to teach at 20 universities, including sitting as an external examiner of doctoral dissertations on state administrative law at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.

The Beginning of the Turning Point 

Mahfud’s choice to pursue knowledge resulted in a great number of offers. During the initial period of the reform era, for example, he was contacted directly by the Minister of Justice, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, to be nominated as a candidate for Supreme Court justice. However, his nomination was hindered by the age requirement, as he was just about to reach the age of 41 years, while the law sets for the minimum age of 50 years as a requirement for the candidates. 

Beyond Mahfud’s expectation, not long afterwards, President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid offered him to assume the post of Minister of Defense, although he did not have a particularly close relationship with Gus Dur. Mahfud was in doubt to accept it at first. He felt that the post of Minister of Defense was not with his discipline. However, the ability to convince people was Gus Dur’s distinguishing feature.. “Look at me now, I have become president without using any discipline whatsoever,” says Mahfud quoting Gus Dur. Gus Dur’s way of convincing him worked, giving Mahfud the determination he needed to accept the offer to become Minister of Defense. 

This event became a turning point in Mahfud’s life. It was well beyond his expectations that a village boy like him would be able to become a minister. In fact, he had never ever dreamt about it. However, during the reform era, he was witnessing some figures with a social background being appointed to hold ministerial seats.  

Ever since then, his name started to gain increasing recognition on the national stage. Subsequently, he became a member of the People’s Legislative Assembly (DPR) and a Constitutional Court justice. And today, he holds the position as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, carrying on the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jimly Asshiddiqie, S.H. This is the point at which he has become increasingly convinced that his choice of knowledge has been the right one and is reminded of his father’s message from the story of Prophet Solomon.

Reaching All His Childhood Dreams

Mahfud’s choice of knowledge is reflected in his childhood dreams. Like other children, this Maduranese boy’s dreams were changing frequently under influences from the environment ever since he was a child. When studying at the Islamic boarding school and attending the Islamic Religion Teachers’ School (Junior High School level), his only dream was to become an Islamic religion teacher or an ustadz. 

However, when attending the Public Islamic Judge School of Yogyakarta (Senior High School level), his dream changed to becoming a judge. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Law of the Indonesian Islamic University (UII), Yogyakarta. There he met brilliant young lecturers having progressive ideas and writing productively. Under the influence of this new experience, his dream changed yet again to becoming a lecturer. 

Now, he has reached all of his ever changing dreams, and in fact he has also gained certain extra bonuses. He has become not only a teacher, but a professor. He has become not only a judge but also the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. The bonuses beyond that include the fact that he has also become a minister and a member of the People’s Legislative Assembly. For Mahfud, all of his achievements are due to the example set by Solomon, who always prioritized knowledge, as frequently retold by his father to him. 

Another principle of life for the man who habitually fasts on Mondays and Thursdays is to lead an honest life. To him, honesty is an important source of peace and comfort. No matter how well-off a person is, or how high a rank or position he holds, he will continue to live in anxiety and restlessness for the rest of his life if all of this is achieved in a dishonest way. 

 The Target of Constitutional Court Justice

Becoming a constitutional court justice has been a calling of the heart to Mahfud, who is an expert of state administrative law and is also interested in the development of the Constitutional Court. In addition to that, he was also invited by the former Chief Justice, Jimly Asshiddiqie, who used to be his fellow Chairperson of State Administrative Law Teachers’ Association, to serve in the Constitutional Court. 

In Mahfud’s view, the credibility of the Constitutional Court as an institution is beyond any doubt. Along with the other two institutions which are also good and clean, namely the Judicial Commission and the Corruption Eradication Commission, the Constitutional Court has been able to maintain its integrity in the face of legal cases.  

Mahfud does not decide any targets as a constitutional court justice. He is decided to continue to work by following the flow in line with the authorities granted to. As a minister, one must be creative and must maintain the dynamics of many programs. The programs should lead to the potential violation of his authority.

Written by Riva Nurul Qomar (150511100016) 

Categories: profil