Get to Know About Indonesia's Current Vice President Gibran Rakabuming

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also known as Gibran Rakabuming, is the Vice President of Indonesia for the 2024–2029 term. He is Indonesia’s 14th Vice President, serving alongside President Prabowo Subianto.

Born in Surakarta, Central Java, on October 1, 1987, Gibran is the eldest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo serving for the period of 2014-2019 and 2019-2024. He grew up in the Central Javanese city.

Gibran earned a diploma from the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), as well as a BSc from Bradford University in England through the university’s partnership with MDIS.

Before entering politics, Gibran was known as a culinary entrepreneur. In 2010, he founded the local catering business Chilli Pari, which later became widely known.

Five years later, he founded Markobar, a chain specializing in martabak manis, a sweet Indonesian pancake, which now has more than 30 branches across Indonesia. He pursued the venture despite initially facing opposition from his father, who wanted him to continue the family furniture business after entering public office, and his venture ultimately proved successful.

Gibran initially said he was comfortable in the business world, but in 2019, he began joining the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). A year later, he ran for mayor of Surakarta, with then-Surakarta City Regional Representatives Council Speaker Teguh Prakosa as his running mate, and won 86.53% of the vote.

He was inaugurated as Mayor of Surakarta in 2021 for the 2021–2024 term. During his tenure, Surakarta underwent extensive physical development.

Among the projects was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a gift from the United Arab Emirates and a replica of the mosque of the same name in Abu Dhabi. Other projects included the Joglo Junction railway overpass and the revitalization of the Mangkunegaran complex, one of the remaining Javanese principalities.

In 2023, Gibran was nominated as Prabowo’s running mate for the 2024 Presidential Election following a controversial Constitutional Court ruling that made his candidacy possible. He was elected as Vice President of Indonesia after he and Prabowo secured 58.59% of the vote.

As Vice President, Gibran has frequently monitored government programs, visited provinces in eastern Indonesia, and promoted artificial intelligence (AI) education in schools. He also launched the Lapor Mas Wapres (Report Mr. Vice President) program, through which members of the public can report public issues for him to follow up on.