Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, commonly known as Mahfud MD, is the current coordinating minister for politics, legal and security affairs.

His political journey shows his vast experience in various roles in all three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial.

As the coordinating minister, Mahfud is the first civilian to hold such a crucial role, breaking away from the tradition of military dominance.

What is his background?

Mahfud, born on May 13, 1957, in Omben District, Sampang, Madura, rose from humble beginnings as the fourth of seven siblings. 

He overcame financial challenges during his law studies, securing scholarships such as the Islamic University of Indonesia’s (UII) Chancellor's scholarship, and excelled academically.

After earning a master's degree in political science in 1989 and a law degree in 1993, Mahfud pursued an illustrious academic career. 

He served in various administrative roles, including as vice chancellor of the UII and as chancellor of Kadiri Islamic University.

His political journey began in 2000 as defense minister and later as law and human rights minister under the presidency of Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.

After the impeachment of Gus Dur in 2001, Mahfud left the cabinet.

In 2004, Mahfud continued his political journey by becoming a legislator at the House of Representatives, in which he represented the National Awakening Party (PKB).

He eventually completed his portfolio in all three government branches by being elected as a justice for the Constitutional Court in 2008.

Later on, Mahfud narrowly defeated the incumbent Jimly Asshiddiqie to become the second chief justice of the Constitutional Court. 

In 2019, he emerged as a potential running mate for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, only to be passed over for senior Muslim cleric Ma'ruf Amin.

Mahfud then decided to join the camp of Prabowo Subianto, Jokowi’s rival during the 2019 presidential election.

After several surveys revealed that their results showed Jokowi had been reelected, Mahfud resigned from his position in Prabowo’s camp and refused to be involved in attempts to dispute and delegitimize the election results.

Eventually, Jokowi decided to accept both Prabowo and Mahfud into his cabinet.

What does he bring to the table?

As of March 31, 2023, Mahfud had a declared total wealth of Rp 29.54 billion ($1.9 million). 

As the first civilian coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Mahfud brings a unique perspective to government.

His extensive academic background, coupled with years of experience in law and politics, positions him as a bridge between theory and practice.

Mahfud's tenure as chief justice of the Constitutional Court showcased his commitment to upholding the rule of law and maintaining a corruption-free judiciary.

Mahfud’s affiliation with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the organization which gave birth to the PKB, could also split the support for party chairman, Muhaimin Iskandar, who is the vice presidential candidate of opposition figurehead Anies Baswedan.

As a politician, Mahfud can also be very pragmatic by choosing his words and tone carefully, especially when it comes to sensitive issues that are not easy to talk about in a religiously conservative society.

For example, his stance on LGBTQ+ issues has always been unclear and could spark controversy.

Mahfud once categorized homosexual conduct as being “unconstitutional” but he also stressed that there is no law that criminalizes homosexual activities.