Husnie Hentihu

Husnie Hentihu (20 August 1950 – 20 February 2023) was an Indonesian politician who served as the Regent of Buru from 2002 until 2012.

Husnie Hentihu
Hentihu in 2010
Regent of Buru
In office 2002–2012
Deputy	Bakri Lumbessy Ramly I. Umasugi
Preceded by	R.S. Sangadji (acting)
Succeeded by	Ramly I. Umasugi
Personal details
Born	(1950-08-20)20 August 1950 Buru, Maluku, Indonesia
Died	20 February 2023(2023-02-20) (aged 72) Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
Education	University of Pattimura (Drs.)

Early life and education

Hentihu was born on 20 August 1950 in Wamlana, a small village in Buru, Maluku. Hentihu started his studies at the Wamlana People's School (equivalent to primary school), but dropped out at the 5th grade and moved to Ambon, the capital of Maluku. He finished primary school at the Al-Hilal Elementary School in 1964. He continued at state-run junior high school and high school and graduated in 1967 and 1970, respectively. He then entered the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Pattimura.^[1] During his time in the university, Hentihu joined the Muslim Students' Association and became its local chairman from 1976 until 1979.^[2] Hentihu obtained a baccalaureate degree in 1976 and graduated from the university with a doctorandus in 1985.^[1]

Career

Hentihu worked as a manager in several companies before being elected to the Central Maluku Regional People's Representative Council from Golkar in the 1992 elections. He was re-elected to the council for a second time in 1997. His second term, which was supposed to end in 2002, ended in 1999 due to the political developments following the fall of Suharto. He was then elected to the Maluku Regional People's Representative Council in the 1999 elections.^[1] Hentihu was the secretary of Golkar in Maluku around this time.^[3]

Several days after Hentihu's election to the Maluku Regional People's Representative Council, the government enacted the law which established the Buru Regency.^[4] The Maluku government then appointed Rusdi Sangadji as the acting regent. An election for a definitive regent was held on 6 September 2001 with Hentihu coming out as the winner, but several members of the Buru local parliament deemed it as invalid.^[5] Another election was then held several months later and was won again by Hentihu. He was then installed as regent around 2002.^[1] Hentihu's first term as regent saw a decrease in armed clashes that occurred due to the Maluku sectarian conflict. Despite this, Hentihu refused to revoke the civil emergency status in Buru, stating that the revocation might cause new clashes to occur.^[6]

Prior to the end of his first term, Hentihu announced his intention to run again as a candidate for the Regent of Buru in the upcoming election. He picked Ramly Umasugi, who at that time was serving as the speaker of Buru's parliament, as his running mate.^[7] Hentihu and Umasugi was supported by Golkar^[7] and the pair managed to win the election.^[8] Hentihu's opponents protested his victory by claiming that Hentihu committed electoral fraud, and their supporters held a protest at the local electoral commission office.^[9][10]

Hentihu oversaw the formation of the South Buru regency during his tenure. Hentihu nominated Hakim Fatsey, one of his subordinate, as the regency's secretary. Hentihu's appointment of Fatsey to the South Buru regency was viewed as some sort of exile due to his mismanagement of the education agency in Buru.^[11] Hentihu's decision was soon protested by the South Buru populace^[11] and Hentihu was later imprisoned for the mismanagement.^[12] Hentihu's second term as regent ended on 2 February 2012.^[13]

In August 2016, a group of students who named themselves as the Maluku Muslim Youth Front protested in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission, demanding Hentihu to be investigated for his involvment in a corruption case. Hentihu was accused of embezzling funds during his tenure as regent.^[14][15]

Personal life and death

Husnie Hentihu was married to Murniaty Sulaiman Hentihu and had five children. Murniaty Sulaiman Hentihu served as a member of the Maluku Regional People's Representative Council from 2014 until her death on 10 August 2021.^[16]

Hentihu died on 20 February 2023 at the Dr. Haulussy Regional Hospital in Ambon, Maluku. He was 72.^[17] Prior to his death, Hentihu had been treated for three days in hospital. His body was brought to Buru to be interred there.^[3]

References

1. Profil gubernur, bupati & walikota se-Indonesia (in Indonesian). IIP Press. 2004. p. 81.
2. Soulisa, M. Syafin (3 January 2018). "Sikap Keberagamaan HMI dalam Kemajemukan Orang Basudara (Studi Tentang Sejarah Perjalanan HMI di Ambon)". Dialektika. 9 (2): 78. doi:10.33477/dj.v9i2.221 (inactive 22 February 2023). ISSN 2685-791X.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of February 2023 (link)
3. "Mantan Bupati Definitif Pertama Kabupaten Buru Meninggal Dunia". Suara Maluku. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
4. Law No. 46 of 1999
5. Heluth, Sahlan (13 November 2001). "Pemilihan Bupati Buntu, Anggota DPRD Mangkir Kerja". Liputan 6. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
6. Arief, Aldrin (17 March 2003). "Darurat Sipil di Maluku Masih Diperlukan". Liputan 6. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
7. Touwe, Mochtar (2 November 2006). "Inilah Enam Pasangan Calon Bupati dan Wakil Bupati Buru". Tempo. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
8. Touwe, Mochtar (25 November 2006). "Hari Ini Pemilihan Kepala Daerah Kabupaten Buru". Tempo. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
9. "Unjuk Rasa di KPU Buru Ricuh". Liputan 6. 6 December 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
10. "Indonesia 60 Detik". Liputan 6. 29 November 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
11. "Mahasiswa Demo Tolak Hakim Fatsey Jadi Sekda Buru Selatan". Antara News. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
12. "Calon Bupati Buru Selatan Hakim Fatsey Meninggal". Medcom. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
13. Sariwating, Lexy (27 October 2011). "Pasangan "RANA" Menang Pilkada Buru". Antara News. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
14. "Foto-foto Peristiwa Hari Ini". Tempo. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
15. Siahaan, Hasiholan (26 August 2016). "Front Pemuda Muslim Maluku Desak KPK Usut Dugaan Korupsi di Pulau Buru". Sindo News. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
16. "Anggota DPRD Maluku Dua Periode, Murniaty Hentihu Wafat". Klik Maluku. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
17. "Mantan Bupati Buru Husni Hentihu Meninggal Dunia". Tribun Ambon. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.