Rachmat Gobel to be Buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery

Rachmat Gobel, a prominent Indonesian politician and businessman, died Friday, July 10, 2026, at the age of 63. After being honored at a wake in South Jakarta, his remains were prepared for burial at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery.

Security at the Heroes Cemetery began preparations for Gobel's interment, with workers digging a grave in Block Z, Number 551. A wooden marker near the site bore the inscription: "H. Rachmat Gobel Bin Drs. H. Thayeb Muhammad Gobel, born September 3, 1962, died July 10, 2026." Mourners began arriving to pay their respects, gathering under a tent while awaiting the arrival of the body. Condolence wreaths were also being delivered.

Gobel passed away at Brawijaya Tebet Hospital in South Jakarta. His colleague, Rajiv, a member of the NasDem Party's DPR Commission IV, remembered Gobel not just as a party associate but as a senior figure who imparted valuable lessons. "I knew him as an economist from the region who was educated in Japan and returned to build his region," Rajiv stated.

Gobel, born in Gorontalo on September 3, 1962, is survived by his wife, Retno Damayanti, two children, Nurfitria Sekarwilis Kusumawardhannie and Mohammad Arif Gobel, grandchildren, and extended family. He was the fifth child of the late Thayeb Mohammad Gobel and Annie Nento Gobel, inheritors of the Gobel Business Group. His political career included a term as Minister of Trade under President Joko Widodo in 2014 and serving as the President's Special Envoy to Japan from 2017 to 2019. In the DPR, he held positions as Deputy Speaker of the NasDem Faction from 2019-2024 and Chairman of the Commission VI DPR Faction for the 2024-2029 term. He was also active in various business associations, including leading the Federation of Electronics and Telematics Industry Associations (F-Gabel) and serving as Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).