Balikpapan. Former two-term East Kalimantan governor Awang Faroek Ishak passed away on Sunday evening while undergoing treatment at Kanujoso Djatiwibowo Municipal Hospital in Balikpapan. He was 76 years old.

Hospital officials confirmed that Awang was admitted around noon and was conscious upon arrival. However, his condition deteriorated in the evening, and he passed away in the intensive care unit at approximately 9 p.m. The hospital declined to disclose details of his medical condition.

Awang’s body was brought to his private residence on Basuki Rahmat Street in Samarinda, where it will lie in rest before the funeral scheduled for Monday.

Mulyadi, Awang’s nephew, revealed that he was rushed to the hospital due to severe diarrhea. “He was taken to the hospital from Samarinda after suffering from severe diarrhea. That’s all I can say,” Mulyadi said.

A Distinguished Public Service Career
Awang Faroek served as the governor of East Kalimantan for two terms, leading the province from 2008 to 2018. In 2019, he was elected as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the National Democratic Party (Nasdem). This marked the final chapter of his public service career before retiring earlier this year.

Before his governorship, Awang held a seat in the House of Representatives for two terms from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Golkar Party. He also earned recognition as the first regent of East Kutai, a region carved out of Kutai Kartanegara Regency in East Kalimantan in 1999.

Prior to entering politics, Awang was a lecturer at Mulawarman University in Samarinda, reflecting his deep commitment to education and community development.

“Today, our mentor and one of the most influential figures in East Kalimantan passed away. I testify that he was a very decent man,” Acting East Kalimantan Governor Akmal Malik said in tribute to Awang’s enduring legacy.