Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin (born 13 May 1957), commonly known as Mahfud MD, is an Indonesian politician and lawyer, who is currently serving as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia and Acting Minister of Communication and Information Technology. He is the first civilian to hold the office; with all of his predecessors coming from military – mostly Army – retirees. He also previously served as the chief justice of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia, member of the People's Representative Council, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Law and Human Rights.
Born in Sampang, on 13 May 1957, he is of Madurese descent. He holds a master's degree in political science and a doctorate in constitutional law (1993) from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. He taught constitutional law at the faculty of law at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) in Yogyakarta, though he has also taught in a number of other universities in Indonesia. In 2000, he was appointed as Minister of Defense by president Abdurrahman Wahid, before being briefly appointed to the office of Minister of Law and Human Rights for three days. In 2004, he was elected to the People's Representative Council (DPR), as a member of the National Awakening Party.
In 2008, he was selected as a judge of the Constitutional Court. In the election for chief justice, he narrowly defeated the incumbent Jimly Asshiddiqie to become the second chief justice of the court. He resigned from the DPR upon taking the position, serving until his term ended in April 2013. The end of Mahfud's time as chief justice was subsequently followed by intention to run for the presidential seat in 2014, which was eventually won by former Jakarta governor, Joko Widodo.
In 2019, he was rumored to be Joko Widodo's running mate in 2019. As vice president Jusuf Kalla was not eligible to serve for another term, due to term limits, as Jusuf Kalla had already served another five-year term as vice-president under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from 2004 to 2009. Though he was passed up for the position, which instead went to Ma'ruf Amin. In 2019, following Joko Widodo's re-election, he was appointed the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs.
Names and initials
Names
Mahfud MD was known by a number of different names throughout his life.
Mahfud MD, is his most popular and well known name. Mohammad Mahfud MD, is his full name. Mohammad Mahfud, was his birth name.
Initials
The initials MD, behind his name is an abbreviation of his father's name, Mahmodin. The additional name began when he studied at the Religious Teacher Education (PGA), an educational institution equivalent to a junior high school, where in one class there were several students by the name of Mahfud. To distinguish him, the teacher asked all students named Mahfud to put their parents' names behind each of their names. With Mahfud MD using the initials of his father. Accidentally, the name was written in his diploma.
Early life, family, and Education
Childhood and family
Mohammad Mahfud MD, originally born only as Mohammad Mahfud, was born on 13 May 1957, in the a village in Omben District, Sampang, Madura. He is the fourth child of seven children. His father was Mahmodin, an employee at the Omben District office, Sampang Regency. While his mother was a housewife named Siti Khadidjah (b. 1930). When Mahfud was two months old, his family moved to Pamekasan, where Mahfud would spend most of his childhood.
Education
Early education
When he was seven years old, he was sent to SD Negeri Waru Pamekasan, a public elementary school. While in the afternoon, he studied at the Madrasah Ibtida'iyyah, at the Al Mardhiyyah Islamic Boarding School. Mahfud was then sent to the Somber Lagah Islamic Boarding School in Tegangser Laok Village, now known as Pondok Pesantren al-Mardhiyyah, a salafi Islamic boarding school that is managed by Kyai Mardhiyyan. His parents enrolled him in the Pamekasan High School.