Indonesian Politician and Businessman Rachmat Gobel Dies at 63

Rachmat Gobel, a prominent Indonesian businessman and politician, passed away on Friday, July 10, at the age of 63. Officials from the NasDem Party confirmed his death, which occurred at 03:20 AM local time at Brawijaya Tebet Hospital in South Jakarta. The party's secretary-general, Hermawi Taslim, announced the news.

Gobel's distinguished career included serving as Indonesia's trade minister under former president Joko Widodo in 2014. He was also a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) and held the position of deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) from 2019 to 2024. Beyond his political roles, Gobel was widely recognized as a leader of the Gobel Group, a major Indonesian business conglomerate and the long-standing local partner of Japan's Panasonic Group.

Born in Gorontalo on September 3, 1962, Gobel was groomed from an early age to continue his family's business legacy. He earned a bachelor's degree in international trade from Chuo University in Tokyo in 1987. Following his studies, he completed professional training at the Matsushita Group near Osaka, Japan. He returned to Indonesia in 1989 at the age of 27 and joined the Gobel Group, where he rose to become one of the nation's most influential business figures while simultaneously pursuing a political career.

Gobel is survived by his wife, Retno Damayanti, two children, Nurfitria Sekarwilis Kusumawardhannie and Mohammad Arif Gobel, along with grandchildren and extended family. His body is being laid in state at a funeral home in South Jakarta, with burial arrangements scheduled for Gorontalo. The family has requested prayers and forgiveness for him, asking for peace in the afterlife.

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He died at 03:20 AM local time at Brawijaya Tebet Hospital in South Jakarta.