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Letter From Jakarta
Scandals, divorce, graft probe: What led to the downfall of this Insta-famous Indonesian governor?
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Former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil and his ex-wife Atalia Praratya on the campaign trail in his gubernatorial bid for Jakarta in November 2024.
PHOTO: RIDWAN KAMIL/FACEBOOK
- Ridwan Kamil's divorce from Atalia Praratya after 29 years, amid his crafted public persona, marks a significant turning point in his career and image.
- Mr Ridwan is implicated as a witness in a corruption probe related to Bank BJB, involving alleged state losses of Rp 222 billion and asset seizures.
- Scandals involving alleged affairs and the scrutiny of social media contributed to Mr Kamil's Jakarta gubernatorial defeat and damaged reputation.
AI generated
JAKARTA – For more than a decade, former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil was Indonesia’s Instagram darling: a Berkeley-educated architect, a devout Muslim and a father whose family posts made him seem approachable, even relatable.
Affectionately known as Kang Emil, the 54-year-old crafted a persona that blurred the line between politician and celebrity. He rose from mayor of Bandung, a post he held from 2013 to 2018, to lead West Java, the country’s most populous province, from 2018 to 2023.
