Bernard Sagrim is a politician of the Golongan Karya Party who has served as regent (Indonesian: bupati) of Maybrat for two terms. Maybrat people see Sagrim as a leader who works hard in pushing for the improvement of all aspects of the lives of indigenous Papuans.
Take a look at his early life, education, organizational experience, and political career.
Early Life and Education
Sagrim was born on Wednesday, January 5, 1966, in Ayamaru which was part of what was then known as West Irian. It was a fascinating fact since Ayamaru used to be the capital of Maybrat before being transferred to Kumurkek.
Sagrim is one of the two children of Marten Sagrim and Marice Naa. Interest in politics seems to run strong in this family as Ortisan Sagrim, Sagrim’s brother, serves as a member of the West Papuan House of Representatives (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Papua Barat).
He graduated from Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, in 1999. In 2021, Sagrim earned his doctorate degree from the Institute of Home Affairs Governance (Indonesian: Institut Pemerintahan Dalam Negeri or IPDN) in Government Science, proving his dedication as a lifelong learner.
Sagrim once mentioned in an interview that he acknowledged his wife and children as his motivation to keep improving himself.
Organizational Experience
Long before his encounter with politics, Sagrim once served as general secretary of the Regional Representative Council (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD) of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (Indonesian: Komite Nasional Pemuda Indonesia or KNPI) from Jayapura in 1989.
The organization has a long history that stretches back to Suharto’s New Order. Essentially, it focuses on youth activities as the name suggests.
Later in his life, Sagrim joined the Golongan Karya Party. More than two decades since his last organizational experience, Sagrim was appointed Chair of the Regional Representative Council (Indonesian: Dewan Perwakilan Daerah) of Maybrat. He served for five years until the end of his term in 2016.
Political Careers
Sagrim’s work in government began when he served as a civil servant for the Jayapura Government in 1993.
Later, he assumed the role of head of the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (Indonesian: Badan Pengelola Keuangan dan Aset Daerah or BPKAD) of Sorong. His term in this position lasted two years from 2007 to 2009.
Then, on the proposal of the Governor of West Papua, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed Sagrim as regent of Maybrat. This time, too, Sagrim ran for the office for only two years until 2011.
While he won the election for the same position in 2011, he was sentenced to 1.3 years in prison in 2014 for corruption. Karel Murafer, his deputy at the time, took over his seat until the end of his term.
Sagrim won another election in 2017. Together with Paskalis Kocu, he led the Maybrat government until August 2022. He was sworn in together with Johny Kamuru, regent of Sorong, and Lamberthus Jitmau, mayor of Sorong, on 22 August 2017.
His journey to become number one at Maybrat for the second time was not without opposition. In fact, Karel Murafer, his rival, challenged his victory to the Constitutional Court.
As a result, the local Election Commission had to re-vote. However, upon investigation, the Constitutional Court declared him the legitimate winner. It caused quite a stir, especially from Murafer’s supporters.
During his second term, Sagrim made several noteworthy contributions. First, he continued to promote campaigns regarding the ownership of large companies in Maybrat entirely by locals. Additionally, it was under Sagrim’s leadership that the harmony and security in Maybrat were maintained.Once his term ended, Bernhard Eduard Rondonuwu replaced Bernard Sagrim as the next regent of Maybart from 23 August 2022.
