Jakarta. Before taking charge of Indonesia’s Industry Ministry, Muhammad Sarmuji spent more than a decade in the House of Representatives, including a stint on the commission overseeing industry, trade and state-owned enterprises, while steadily climbing the ranks of the Golkar Party.

President Prabowo Subianto appointed Sarmuji to replace Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in a Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, putting the Golkar secretary-general in charge of industrial policy for the remainder of the 2024–2029 presidential term.

Ahead of his inauguration, Sarmuji said Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya had called to inform him that he could be given a role related to industrial affairs.

“I received a call from the cabinet secretary. He said there was a possibility that I would be assigned to handle industrial affairs,” Sarmuji told reporters.

His appointment was part of a broader reshuffle involving ministers, deputy ministers, agency chiefs and the Ombudsman.

More Than a Decade in Parliament
Born in Surabaya, East Java, on June 10, 1974, Sarmuji entered the House after winning a seat in the 2014 legislative election. He was reelected in 2019 and 2024, representing East Java’s sixth electoral district.

The constituency covers the cities and regencies of Blitar and Kediri, as well as Trenggalek and Tulungagung regencies.

During his first term, Sarmuji served on House Commission VI, whose portfolio includes trade, industry, investment, cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises, state-owned enterprises and national standardization.

In April 2015, he moved to Commission IX, which oversees health, manpower and population affairs, and later served on Commission XI, which handles finance and banking.

His involvement in the House predates his election as a legislator. From 2007 to 2014, Sarmuji worked as an expert staff member for Golkar’s House faction and also served as coordinator of the faction’s expert staff.

Sarmuji studied management at the University of Jember’s Faculty of Economics, enrolling in 1992 and graduating in 2000. He later earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Indonesia in 2006.

Before entering Parliament, he also built a career in the private sector. He worked as a consultant at Himais Optima from 2002 to 2010 and served as a commissioner at Manggala Karya Cipta from 2008 to 2014 and Eco Sejahtera from 2011 to 2014.

Rising Through Golkar
Sarmuji began his organizational career in the student movement through the Islamic Students Association (HMI), where he headed a division within the organization’s central executive board.

He later became active in Golkar-affiliated youth organizations, serving as deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Renewal Youth Force (AMPI) from 2003 to 2008 and secretary-general of the Golkar Youth Force (AMPG) beginning in 2010.

Within Golkar itself, Sarmuji served as deputy secretary-general responsible for election victories in Java and Kalimantan from 2014 to 2019. He subsequently joined the party’s central executive board for the 2019–2020 period.

His influence within the party continued to grow when he was elected chairman of Golkar’s East Java chapter, a position he held from 2020 to 2024.

In 2024, Sarmuji was appointed Golkar secretary-general, placing him among the party’s most senior officials. He has also served as chairman of the University of Jember Alumni Association since that year.

His appointment as industry minister now takes him from more than a decade in the legislature and senior positions within Golkar into an executive role overseeing one of the key sectors of Prabowo’s economic agenda.

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