Khofifah and East Java’s New Direction

By reading the title of the book, we can already tell that it’s a biography. However, it’s not like most biographies. This book doesn’t recount the heartwarming stories of a famous figure’s childhood.

Written in simple, straightforward language, the book gets straight to the point across 14 chapters spanning 129 pages, accompanied by photographic documentation of its subject.

Her name is Khofifah Indar Parawansa, East Java’s first female governor. The book traces the former Minister of Social Affairs’ background and her rise to become the province’s top leader.

Authored by Prof. M. Mas’ud Said, Director of Unisma’s Postgraduate Program, the book reveals lesser-known sides of Khofifah alongside those already familiar to the public among them her leadership style and spirituality. Khofifah has long admired Gus Dur, drawing inspiration from his example.

As Chairwoman of Muslimat NU, Khofifah has built her leadership in East Java around embracing every stakeholder through intensive communication. Born 50 years ago, she brings a revolutionary edge to governance while holding firmly to simplicity in her daily life, never straying from silent dzikir and other devotional practices.

The book goes further still, chronicling Khofifah’s year-long partnership with Deputy Governor Emil at the helm of East Java’s leadership. That collaboration culminated in late 2019, when Khofifah received the Revolutionary Leader Award from the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (KemenpanRB).

Unfortunately, the book has yet to gain wide public attention, remaining difficult to find in either offline or online bookstores. (Nad/Al/PSJatim)