Abdul Faris Umlati, who is also more popular by his nickname “AFU,” is a two-term regent (Indonesian: bupati) of Raja Ampat, a district in West Papua. While the man is better known for his political work, Umlati started his career in an entirely different industry.
Take a look at his early life, education, a career as a politician, and more below.
Early Life and Education
Umlati was born in Sorong, West Papua, on Monday, February 12, 1973. While little is known about his family background, it can be inferred that he grew up in an environment that greatly valued the importance of education.
It is evident from the schools he attended. Umlati went from primary education all the way to college under the positive influence of his family. This, coupled with his organizational involvement throughout his youth, shaped him as he is today.
Young Umlati started his schooling at a public elementary school in East Doom. The area where the school is located is part of Doom Island, a small island that was once the center of the Dutch government in Papua.
Once he graduated, he went to SMP Negeri 5 Wosi, or what is now SMP Negeri 5 Manokwari. Later, he attended a public high school in Manokwari as well. Umlati earned his bachelor’s degree, Bachelor of Economics, from Universitas Yapis Papua in Jayapura.
Life Before Political Involvement
Unlike most Papuan figures of his time, Umlati started his career as a politician quite late. The assumption is that higher education had an impact on his career choice at the beginning of his professional journey.
For a decade, Umlati was in the construction business as an entrepreneur. Also, it was during this period that he applied his knowledge in economics to grow his business. It started in about 1999, and he left in 2009 to pursue his aspirations as a politician.
Unfortunately, it is unknown to this day the name of Umlati’s construction firm and whether he closed it down.
Organizational Experience
So far, records note that Umlati joined two organizations during his tenure in several legislative positions over the years.
First, Umlati assumes the financial manager of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesia or ICMI).
The organization was formed in the late 1990s. Baharuddin Jusuf Habibie was one of the notable figures of the organization who was also the first chairman of ICMI.
Getting back on topic, Umlati stepped down from his position at ICMI in 2017 after five years. At the same time, or around 2014, the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Indonesian: Himpunan Pengusaha Muda Indonesia or HIPMI) entrusted the role of chairman to Umlati.
The coronation was in line with Umlati’s educational background and early endeavors in entrepreneurship. His tenure at HIPMI lasted from 2014 to 2019.
Political Careers
Not only is he an accomplished businessman, but Umlati also establishes himself as a capable politician.
He demonstrated his leadership by serving twice as Deputy Speaker of the DPRD from Raja Ampat, bringing his term in office to six years in total. While he was serving his second term, Umlati decided to step down as he was running for the 2016 election as the next regent of Raja Ampat.
Eventually, he won the election and ran for office with Manuel Piter Urbinas as his deputy. Later, in 2018, the Democratic Party, which promoted Umlati to the position, named him the Chair of the Regional Representative Council (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Daerah) of West Papua, representing the party.
Once his term ended on September 26, 2020, Umlati resumed his work for the same role on December 6, 2020.
Achievements
Throughout his lifetime, Umlati received several awards. TIMES Indonesia awarded him Influencer of the Year in 2020 for his hard work in taking the Raja Ampat tourism industry to the international level.In addition, the Audit Board of Indonesia (Indonesian: Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan or BPK) recognized Abdul Faris Umlati for his superior performance in preparing regional financial reports for the eighth consecutive time.
