Awang Faroek Ishak

Awang Faroek Ishak
11th Governor of East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 December 2008
President	Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Vice Governor	Farid Wadjdy
Preceded by	Tarmizi Abdul Karim
1st Regent of East Kutai, Indonesia
In office 1999–2003
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Mahyudin
3rd Regent of East Kutai, Indonesia
In office 2006–2008
Preceded by	Mahyudin
Succeeded by	Isran Noor
Personal details
Born	(1948-07-31) 31 July 1948 Tenggarong, East Kalimantan
Religion	Islam

Awang Faroek Ishak (born 31 July 1948 in Tenggarong, East Kalimantan) is the current Governor of East Kalimantan, one of the wealthiest provinces in Indonesia. Awang Faroek assumed office on December 2008.

Early life

Ishak was known as a lecturer in Mulawarman University in Samarinda, he gained the position of Dean of Education Faculty and 3rd University Director Assistant.

Political life

Ishak was a member of the People's Representative Council for two terms, from 1987 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1997. After the reforma era, Ishak was chosen to be an acting regent for the newly created regency of East Kutai that was previously part of Kutai Kartanegara Regency. Ishak was regent from 1999 until 2003 when he resigned to run for the position of governor of East Kalimantan. However Ishak was defeated in the election by Suwarna Abdul Fatah.

When the first direct elections for regent were held in East Kutai in 2006 Ishak became a candidate, running against his former vice regent Mahyudin.

Ishak re-took the Regent position from Mahyudin after winning the East Kalimantan gubernatorial election in 2008 in two rounds. In the first round, Ishak and his running mate Farid Wadjdy won first place, defeating Achmad Amins and Jusuf SK. But because Ishak did not poll strongly enough to win outright (less than the 30% of the ballot needed to be declared the winner), the KPU (Election Committee) declared that a second round would be necessary with Ishak and Achmad Amins as the two runoff candidates.^[1] The second round of the gubernatorial elections were held in October 2008. Ishak won more than 50% of popular vote and became the 12th Governor of East Kalimantan.

References