Tantowi Yahya

Last updated

Dewi Handayani
​
(m. 1989)​
Tantowi Yahya
Ty3.jpg
14th Ambassador of Indonesia to New Zealand
In office
13 March 2017 –1 January 2022
Children
  • Muhammad Adjani Prasanna Yahya
  • Muhammad Alano Panditto Yahya
RelativesHelmy Yahya (younger brother)
Occupation Musician
Politician
Presenter

Tantowi Yahya (born 29 October 1960, in Palembang) is an Indonesian artist, presenter, and politician who is a former Ambassador of Indonesia to New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga. He is most famous for hosting the Indonesian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? . In 2009, Tantowi became a member of the Indonesian parliament from the Golkar Party, representing South Sumatra province. In 2014, he was reelected, and this time he represented the capital city, Jakarta.

Contents

Personal life

Tantowi was born in Palembang, South Sumatera on 29 October 1960 as the fourth child out of five children of ethnic Palembangese Malay parents named Yahya Matusin and Komariah. He was born and raised in a simple family background. His father, Yahya, sold used glasses for living. Believing that English is the key to success, at the age of 14, he sent Tantowi and his younger brother, Helmy, to an English course in Palembang. [1] Yahya Matusin was a multi-talented man. He was known as a great footballer, badminton player, religious leader, accordion player, and also an avid singer.

Tantowi married his wife, Dewi Handayani in 1989 and has two sons, Mohammad Adjani Prasanna Yahya (born on 11 April 2001) and Mohammad Alano Panditta Yahya (born on 20 April 2006). [1] Tantowi is the elder brother of Helmy Yahya, a famous TV host and TV program maker as well as the former President and Director of Indonesian public television TVRI.

Television

Tantowi's early success was as the host of the TV show "Gita Remaja" in 1989 on TVRI. [1] His best-known career however came in 2001, from that year to 2006, he hosted the Indonesian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on RCTI. [1] [2] The next program he hosted was the Deal or No Deal Indonesia also on RCTI. In 2009 he hosted the local adaptation of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? this time on Global TV, but his sparkling career in television was cut short by his election into the Indonesian House of Representatives following his electoral victory in the 2009 Indonesian legislative election.

Country music

Tantowi fell in love with country music when he first listened to country songs by Elvis Presley when he was seven. It was his neighbour who lived next door who occasionally played Everly Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Patsy Cline, and other country artists on his phonogram who then made him an avid country music fan. Though he had the wide opportunity to record his voice, Tantowi only released his first country single Gone, Gone, Gone in 2000. [3] Following the success of this single, he then produced his first album Country Breeze, which sold over 500,000 copies. [3] His musical success led him to become the host of the "Country Road" music show on TVRI. [1] He was dubbed "the most popular country singer in Indonesia". [2] [1] He stated that country music is his "second religion". [4] Tantowi Yahya is the founder of the Country Music Club of Indonesia. [5] He owned a music label, Ceepee, and event organizer CDP which organized Indonesian Beauty Pageants, the Indonesian Music Awards, AMI Awards, and television awards, Panasonic Awards. [6] In 2005, Tantowi visited the United States under a Multi-Nation Program by Eisenhower Fellowship. There he visited Nashville, the center of the country music industry. [7] Representing Indonesia, Tantowi appeared as a global artist at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville in 2006. As a country singer, he has produced 10 albums with a sale of over 3 million copies combined.

Politics

In the 2009 election, Tantowi ran for a seat on the People's Representative Council (DPR) as a delegate from the Golkar Party. He won the election by 240.000 votes and represented his native South Sumatra from 2009 to 2014. As parliamentarian, Tantowi was placed on Commission I overseeing Defense, Intelligence, Media and Informatics, and Foreign Affairs. [5]

In June 2013 Tantowi caused controversy when he visited Israel, as Indonesia does not formally recognize the state and does not have a diplomatic relationship with it. The criticism came primarily from conservative Muslims, primarily the controversial Islamic Defender Front (Front Pembela Islam/FPI). FPI's spokesman Munarman stated that Tantowi "ignored the suffering of Palestinians" and stated that Tantowi should have visited Gaza instead. [8]

In September 2013, in an interview by ABC, he publicly declared Indonesian's opposition to Australia's government policy on asylum seekers, which involved towing asylum boats in international water back to Indonesian territory and paying Indonesian villagers for information about people smuggling, calling it 'illegal, offensive and an affront to democracy'. [9] This statement is in line with the statement of Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. [10]

In March 2017, Joko Widodo formally appointed Tantowi as the Ambassador of Indonesia to New Zealand. His place in DPR was taken by Ivan Doly Gultom. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golkar</span> Political party in Indonesia

The Party of Functional Groups, often known by its abbreviation Golkar, is a centre-right big tent political party in Indonesia. Founded in 1964 as the Joint Secretariat of Functional Groups, it is the oldest extant political party in Indonesia. It first participated in national elections in 1971 as Functional Groups. Since 2009, it has been the second-largest party in the House of Representatives (DPR), having won 102 seats in the latest election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Indonesia</span>

Elections in Indonesia have taken place since 1955 to elect a legislature. At a national level, Indonesian people did not elect a head of state – the president – until 2004. Since then, the president is elected for a five-year term, as are the 575-member People's Representative Council, the 136-seat Regional Representative Council, in addition to provincial and municipal legislative councils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Party (Indonesia)</span> Political party in Indonesia

The Democratic Party is a centre to centre-right nationalist political party in Indonesia. Currently, it holds 54 seats in the House of Representatives (DPR). It is led by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the son of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), who served as the President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RCTI</span> Television broadcaster in Indonesia

RCTI is a West Jakarta-based Indonesian free-to-air television broadcaster. It is best known for its soap operas, celebrity bulletins, news, and sports programmes. It was first launched in 1989, originally as a local pay television operator that broadcasts mostly foreign programmes, before switching to free-to-air terrestrial network a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVRI</span> Indonesian public television broadcaster

TVRI is an Indonesian national public television network and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public radio network RRI. First publicly airing in 24 August 1962, on the opening day of, and established as part of the preparations for, the 1962 Asian Games, it is the oldest television network in the country. Its national headquarters is in Gelora, Central Jakarta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Republik Indonesia</span> Indonesian public radio network

Radio Republik Indonesia is a public radio network of Indonesia and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public television network TVRI. Founded on 11 September 1945, it is the first radio network in Indonesia and the second oldest media company in the country after Antara. RRI headquarters are located on Medan Merdeka Barat Street in Central Jakarta, Jakarta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Indonesia</span>

The mass media in Indonesia consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based websites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatta Rajasa</span> Indonesian politician

Muhammad Hatta Rajasa is an Indonesian politician who served as the Coordinating Minister for the Economy of Indonesia from 22 October 2009 to 13 May 2014. A member of the National Mandate Party (PAN), he previously served as Minister Secretary of State (2007–2009), Minister of Transportation (2004–2007), and Minister of State for Research and Technology (2001–2004). He was also general Prabowo Subianto's running mate in the 2014 Indonesian presidential election, with the ticket being backed by a number of parties, including the Gerindra party, National Mandate Party, Prosperous Justice Party, United Development Party, the Crescent Star Party and Golkar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Indonesian legislative election</span>

Legislative elections were held in Indonesia on 23 April 1987, to elect 400 of the 500 members of the People's Representative Council (DPR), the national legislature. The election was the fifth legislative election in the country since independence and the fourth legislative election under President Suharto's New Order. The election resulted in an outright majority for Golkar, which retained its status as the ruling party of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana</span> Indonesian businesswoman and politician

Siti Hardiyanti Hastuti Rukmana, known as Tutut Suharto, is an Indonesian politician who is the eldest daughter of former Indonesian president Suharto and the wife of Global Mediacom co-founder and former RCTI's commissioner Indra Rukmana. She is a former Minister of Social Affairs and a former member of the People's Consultative Assembly representing Golkar from 1992 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Indonesian legislative election</span>

Legislative elections were held in Indonesia on 9 April 2009 for 132 seats of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) and 560 seats of the People's Representative Council (DPR). A total of 38 parties met the requirements to be allowed to participate in the national elections, with a further six regional parties contesting in Aceh only. The Democratic Party of incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won the largest share of the vote, followed by Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television in Indonesia</span>

Television in Indonesia started in 1962, when the then state-run station TVRI began broadcasting – the third country in Southeast Asia to do so. TVRI held a television monopoly in Indonesia until 1989 when the first commercial station, RCTI began as a local station and was subsequently granted a national license a year later. The Indonesian television is regulated by both Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kemenkominfo) for frequency matters and Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) for content matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmoko</span> Indonesian politician and journalist (1939–2021)

Harmoko, colloquially referred to as Bung Harmoko, was an Indonesian politician and journalist who was active during the New Order era. He served as the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1997 until 1999, and was a factor in president Suharto's resignation during the widespread student demonstrations which occurred at the end of the New Order.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dedi Mulyadi</span> Indonesian politician (born 1971)

Dedi Mulyadi is an Indonesian politician who was the regent of Purwakarta, holding that position between 2008 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Doly Gultom</span> Indonesian politician

Ivan Doly Gultom is an Indonesian politician of Golkar who served as a member of the People's Representative Council between 2017 and 2019. He was appointed to the body in 2017 to replace Tantowi Yahya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speaker of the House of Representatives (Indonesia)</span>

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives of Indonesia. The speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives and is simultaneously the Council's presiding officer. The speakers also perform various other administrative and procedural functions.

TVRI World is an Indonesian television channel owned by public broadcaster TVRI, catered for domestic and international audience. The English-language channel is currently on its trial broadcast, with its planned launching in 2024. The channel is domestically available in digital terrestrial, satellite, and TVRI Klik streaming service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVRI (TV channel)</span> Indonesian television network

TVRI, formerly known as TVRI Jakarta Central Station is the main national public television channel owned by LPP Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI). The channel began broadcasting on 24 August 1962, making it the first television station in Indonesia. The channel was also the only television channel choice in Indonesia until 1989, when Programa Dua TVRI in Jakarta broadcast separately from TVRI and private television stations began broadcasting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jakarta III (electoral district)</span> Electoral district in Indonesia

Jakarta Special Capital Region III, abbreviated as DKI Jakarta III, is an electoral district in Indonesia which encompasses of North, West Jakarta and Thousand Islands Regency in the Jakarta Special Capital Region. Since 2019, this district has been represented by seven members of People's Representative Council.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tantowi, a man of a million talents", The Jakarta Post, 6 August 2002, archived from the original on 4 March 2016
  2. 1 2 "Tantowi Yahya: The Voice of Indonesian Country Music", Country Music Online, 6 July 2005
  3. 1 2 "Tantowi Yahya profile", Merdeka.com
  4. ↑ "Tantowi Yahya: 'Music is my second religion'", The Jakarta Post, 28 June 2008, archived from the original on 3 December 2013
  5. 1 2 "Tantowi says sayonara to showbiz" , The Jakarta Post, 12 August 2009
  6. ↑ "Guess What? Tantowi Yahya", The Jakarta Post, 20 February 2000, archived from the original on 3 December 2013
  7. ↑ "Tantowi Yahya warms to United States", The Jakarta Post, 13 May 2005, archived from the original on 4 March 2016
  8. ↑ "Rabble-rouser gripes at peace mission", The Jakarta Post, 13 June 2013
  9. ↑ Davidson, Helen (18 September 2013), "Indonesian MP says country will 'fully reject' Coalition's asylum boat policy", The Guardian
  10. ↑ "Indonesia to reject Abbott's boat people plan", The Jakarta Post, 12 September 2013
  11. ↑ Pratama, Adiatmaputra Fajar (30 May 2017). "Tantowi Yahya Jadi Dubes Selandia Baru, DPR Lantik Ivan Doly Gultom". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 December 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.