21 Facts About Agung Laksono

Agung Laksono was born on 23 March 1949 and is an Indonesian politician and businessman who is serving as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council since 2019.

Agung Laksono completed his primary and secondary education at SMA Negeri 4 Medan.

Agung Laksono continued his studies at the Christian University of Indonesia at the Faculty of Medicine and graduated in 1972.

Agung Laksono started his political career in the Golkar Party by serving as Chairman of the Youth Forces of the Golkar Party from 1984 until 1989.

Agung Laksono would go on to serve as Director of PT Horizon Andalas Televisi, now known as ANTV from 1993 until 1998 and Minister of Youth and Sports in the Development Cabinet VII in the government of President Suharto.

Agung Laksono was appointed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare from 2009 until 2014.

Agung Laksono was replaced by Lukman Hakim Saifuddin who was officially inaugurated by the President on 9 June 2014.

Agung Laksono was born in Semarang on 23 March 1949.

Agung Laksono completed his primary and secondary education at SMA Negeri 4 Medan.

Agung Laksono continued his studies at the Indonesian Christian University at the Faculty of Medicine and graduated in 1972.

Agung Laksono started his political career in the Golkar Party by serving as Chairman of the Youth Forces of the Golkar Party from 1984 until 1989.

Agung Laksono would go on to serve as Minister of Youth and Sports in the Development Cabinet VII in the government of President Suharto.

Agung Laksono was appointed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare from 2009 until 2014.

Agung Laksono was replaced by Lukman Hakim Saifuddin who was officially inaugurated by the President on 9 June 2014.

Agung Laksono was a co-founder of Adam Air, a now defunct commercial airline, which was heavily embroiled in corruption as well as various safety violations.

Agung Laksono is known for critical remarks toward Singapore in response to the island republic's diplomatic calls to the Indonesian government to curb acrid trans-boundary haze that shroud large areas of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore annually as a result of extensive "slash and burn" cultivation in Sumatra, Kalimantan and other Indonesian territories.

Agung Laksono's remarks were viewed as without sound justification, aimed at rousing nationalistic sentiments without constructively resolving the issue at hand.

Agung Laksono lambasted Singaporeans for "behaving like a child" when the city-state stepped up pressure on the Indonesian government to take definitive action to extinguish the Sumatran forest fires and bring those responsible to justice through stricter enforcement of laws against indiscriminate burning.

Agung Laksono told reporters that "Indonesian citizens need to be looked after" before tending to other countries' interests, even though the world's largest archipelago is observed to be the primary source of the annual regional smog.

Agung Laksono argued that it was "not what Indonesians want, it's nature", despite the fact that it was clear even in the haze that were razing large areas of forested land for commercial plantations were certainly man-made events.

Agung Laksono reportedly remarked on more than one occasion that Indonesia's neighbours do not appreciate the fresh air that Indonesian forests bring to them, but complained about the haze when it only happens occasionally.