Umbu Mehang Kunda

Umbu Mehang Kunda
Kunda as regent of East Sumba
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
1 October 1987 – 2000
Regent of East Sumba
In office
31 August 2005 – 2 August 2008
In office
19 April 2000 – 19 April 2005
Preceded byLukas Mbadi Kaborang
Succeeded byGidion Mbilijora
Personal details
Born(1951-02-14)14 February 1951
East Sumba, Lesser Sunda, Indonesia
Died2 August 2008(2008-08-02) (aged 57)
Waingapu, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
PartyGolkar

Umbu Mehang Kunda (14 February 1951 – 2 August 2008) was an Indonesian civil servant and politician of the Golkar party. Originating from Sumba, he was a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) from 1987 to 2000, and was regent of East Sumba Regency from 2000 until his death in 2008. He was one of the most prominent Sumbanese politicians during his career, and East Sumba's airport would be renamed in his honor.

Early life

Umbu Mehang Kunda was born on 14 February 1951[1] at the village of Praiyawang in Rindi district, East Sumba Regency, then part of Lesser Sunda province. Kunda's family is part of the traditional aristocracy of Rindi, Umbu being a nobility title, and he had close family ties with the raja of Rindi.[2][3] After graduating from Anda Luri Catholic High School in Waingapu,[4] Kunda obtained his bachelor's degree in agricultural science from the Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga in 1976.[5]

Career

After the completion of his studies, Kunda began to work as a civil servant.[5] Following the 1987 Indonesian legislative election, Kunda became a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) from the Golkar party, where he joined its agricultural commission.[5][6] During his career in DPR, he would eventually serve as chairman of the Third Commission covering law, security, and human rights.[7]

In March 1997, as political rifts were emerging in Indonesia, Kunda was part of a special committee within DPR tasked with revising parliamentary rules. He spoke out against the United Development Party's attempts to allow a single party to submit a bill without the endorsement of other parliamentary factions, claiming that such a rule would lead to "dictatorship of the majority, or autarchy by the minority". Ultimately, the house rule was revised by reducing the number of signatories required, but the multi-party requirement was retained.[8] His actions as a DPR member during this period gained him much political capital with Golkar's leadership.[7]

East Sumba

Kunda had contested the regency of East Sumba in 1994. He had secured the endorsements of the governor of East Nusa Tenggara and military commander of Kodam IX/Udayana, and was considered the favorite candidate. During the vote by the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of East Sumba elected Lukas Mbadi Kaborang as regent instead, with Kunda winning 9 votes to Kaborang's 11.[9] In 2000, Kunda ran again, and defeated Kaborang after Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle legislators initially expected to vote Kaborang defected and voted for him. The result was 11 votes for Kunda and 9 for Kaborang.[10][11] He resigned as a DPR member to take office as East Sumba's regent and was sworn in on 19 April 2000.[7][12]

As regent, Kunda prioritized development around urban areas and industry over agriculture. Using his business connections built up over his time in Jakarta's political scene, Kunda invited investors to set up shop in Sumba, including a drinking water plant. His first term saw East Sumba's municipal government budget balloon due to increased transfers from the central government.[13] Leading up to the elections of 2004 and 2005, Kunda frequented funeral ceremonies throughout East Sumba, giving gifts to the families of the deceased. Under Sumbanese culture, these gifts were normally expected to be repaid, but in most of these cases political support was instead given to Kunda and Golkar.[14] Kunda would be reelected for a second term following a four-way direct election in 2005, again defeating Kaborang after securing 42,991 votes (39.7%). Civil servant Gidion Mbilijora became his deputy.[15] He was sworn in for his second term on 31 August 2005.[12]

During Kunda's second term as regent, political pressure began to build up to split East Sumba into multiple new regencies, with neighboring West Sumba getting split into three (West, Southwest, and Central Sumba) in 2007. East Sumba under Kunda resisted the split, backed by Kunda's political connections in the central government.[7] Prior to his death, Kunda also initiated a project to develop East Sumba as a center for the beef industry.[16]

Death and legacy

Having opened a fair event during the afternoon,[17][18] Kunda had heart problems on the night of 1 August and was rushed to Waingapu's Immanuel Clinic where he died around 1:30 AM on 2 August. By afternoon that day, thousands of mourners from East and Central Sumba had arrived at his house.[19] After a funeral lasting over three months, Kunda was buried at his home village of Praiyawang at his family cemetery, next to his grandfather's grave, on 10 November. His gravestone weighed 32 tonnes, and was shaped into a boat.[2][20] He was married to Silvia Anggreni and had two daughters and a son.[17]

In November 2008, the East Sumba DPRD approved a motion to rename Waingapu's airport to the Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport.[21] The name change was made official on May 2009.[18] He was credited for his ability to represent the Sumbanese in the national political scene.[7]

References

  1. ^ Ir. Umbu Mehang Kunda (Gravestone). East Sumba Regency, Indonesia. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Sampai Mati Tetap Dijaga". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). 19 August 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  3. ^ Vel, Jacqueline (2005). "Pilkada in East Sumba: An Old Rivalry in a New Democratic Setting". Indonesia (80): 95. ISSN 0019-7289.
  4. ^ "Sejarah Singkat Berdirinya SMA Katolik Anda Luri" (in Indonesian). SMA Katolik Anda Luri. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Indonesian Investment and Trading Opportunity by Province, Regency, City (in Indonesian). Fery Agung. 2004. p. 158. ISBN 978-979-3824-18-5.
  6. ^ Daftar nama anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, Republik Indonesia (MPR-RI) dan Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Republik Indonesia (DPR-RI): hasil Pemilihan Umum tahun 1987 (in Indonesian). Departemen Penerangan RI. 1987. p. 17.
  7. ^ a b c d e Lundry, Chris (2020). "Electoral politics in Sumba: The persistence of tradition". The 2018 and 2019 Indonesian Elections: Identity Politics and Regional Perspectives. Routledge. pp. 172–173. ISBN 9781003031000.
  8. ^ Masuhara, Ayako (2015). The End of Personal Rule in Indonesia: Golkar and the Transformation of the Suharto Regime. Kyoto University Press. p. 185. ISBN 9781920901196.
  9. ^ "Drs. Lukas Kaborang Raih Suara Terbanyak di Sumba Timur". Bali Post (in Indonesian). 11 January 1994. p. 5. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Kaborang Terjungkal, PDI-P Membelot ke Golkar". Bali Post (in Indonesian). 6 March 2000. p. 5. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  11. ^ "Belum Jelas Pelantikan Bupati Sumba Timur". Bali Post (in Indonesian). 13 April 2000. p. 5. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  12. ^ a b Sejarah pemerintahan dan pemimpin Kabupaten Sumba Timur (in Indonesian). Pemerintah Kabupaten Sumba Timur. 2010. p. 76. ISBN 978-979-3790-49-7.
  13. ^ Vel 2005, pp. 92–95.
  14. ^ Vel 2005, p. 89.
  15. ^ Vel 2005, p. 105.
  16. ^ "Komunitas Masyarakat Adat Sumba Gelar Pertemuan Bahas Ujaran Gubernur NTT". Kompas (in Indonesian). 6 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Bupati Sumba Timur Tutup Usia". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). 2 August 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Sambut Gubernur". Antara Foto (in Indonesian). 29 May 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  19. ^ "Bupati Sumba Timur Meninggal Mendadak". KOMPAS.com. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  20. ^ "Mantan Bupati Sumbu Timur Dimakamkan secara Adat". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 7 November 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  21. ^ "Bandara dan Pelabuhan Waingapu Berganti Nama". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). 12 November 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
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