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Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Pudjiastuti

Susi Pudjiastuti was born 15 January 1965, in Pangandaran, West Java, the daughter of Haji Ahmad Karlan and Hajjah Suwuh Lasminah. She is Javanese, but her family are fifth-generation settlers of Pangandaran, which is predominantly Sundanese. Her family business was engaged primarily in real estate and livestock farming.

Susi Pudjiastuti is an Indonesian entrepreneur who served as the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia under President Joko Widodo’s 2014-2019 Working Cabinet. In a world where it鈥檚 hard to separate between the leaders who care and those who serve other ends, Susi Pudjiastuti was a servant of the people.

Susi continues to inspire young girls and boys, as well as established women and men. The world could certainly do with more like her. Below are the Top 10 fascinating facts about Pudjiastuti.

 

 

1. Pudjiastuti is a Self-Made Businesswoman

The ocean has been a part of Susi鈥檚 life since her childhood and she was able to start her own fishing business. Susi started her entrepreneurial journey as a seafood distributor in 1983 in her hometown of Pangandaran. The business developed steadily until opening a processing plant two decades later and setting up air transport Susi Air in 2004.

The initial aim of the airline company is to maintain the freshness of the company鈥檚 marine products distribution. However, she gained wider popularity when her air transport became the first responder to distribute aid to isolated areas when the devastating tsunami hit Aceh in 2004.

2. Pudjiastuti was a Minister in the Government of Indonesia

She was then appointed as the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries under President Joko Widodo鈥檚 administration in 2014-2019. A sovereign ocean, sustainable fisheries and a prosperous society is the mission Susi Pudjiastuti sets to pursue.

Pudjiastuti served as maritime affairs and fisheries minister through October 2019 and was widely known for her hardline stance against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In 2016, Pudjiastuti implemented the ban on catching and exporting lobster smaller than eight centimetres in length or 200 grams in weight, in a move to conserve the population. She made the ministry visible and was regarded as one of the best-performing ministries.

3.  Pudjiastuti  was a Member of 鈥淭eam Lead鈥� In The BBC 100 Women Challenge

She appeared on The BBC 100 inspirational and innovative women of 2017. The goal of that year鈥檚 challenge was for the women involved to come together in teams to face issues facing women today. The women on the list were part of the 100 Women Challenge, tackling some of the biggest problems facing women around the world.

Being a part of the BBC 100 Women list comes with responsibility. Everyone is expected to join a challenge they want to overcome for women in the world. As part of #Teamlead, it was Susi鈥檚 ambition to promote leadership roles for women across the world that earned her a place in the list.

4.     #WeWantSusi

Eyebrows were raised when President Joko 鈥淛okowi鈥� Widodo omitted former fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti from his new cabinet in October 2019. Projecting a tough stance on illegal fishing, Susi was a political superstar during Jokowi鈥檚 first term.

Although her policies decreased illegal fishing by 90%, Susi鈥檚 harsh managerial style alienated many parties. They later coalesced into a loosely associated coalition to counter her policies and oust her from office.

Despite Susi鈥檚 public approval, however, the president chose former congressman Edhy Prabowo to succeed her. Maritime and fisheries observers said the move signalled a loosening of protections for coastal and marine ecosystems and fishing communities.

Her drop from cabinet prompted a popular backlash on social media and spawned the trending hashtag #WeWantSusi.

5.   Blow 鈥榚m up Pudjiastuti

President Jokowi knew that he was going to need 鈥渁 crazy person in order to make a breakthrough鈥�. He had just the woman for the job. Under her watch, Indonesia has sunk more than 500 illegal fishing vessels.

During her tenure from 2014-2019, Susi was known for her assertiveness in dealing with ships fishing illegally in Indonesian waters. Her reasoning for the punishment was to have a deterrent effect both locally and regionally. Susi received the Leaders for a Living Planet Award from WWF in 2016 and BBC 100 Women in 2017 for her work in bettering local fisheries and promoting sustainable development.

6.  Leonardo Di Caprio Lauded Her during World Oceans Day 2017

 

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti have two things in common: They are famous for their strong roles in the shipping scene and are deeply in love with the marine world.

As part of a video presentation at the 2017 World Oceans Day event, DiCaprio singled out Indonesia鈥檚 minister of fisheries and marine resources, Susi Pudjiastuti, for her impressive work in protecting Indonesia鈥檚 oceans.

World Oceans Day is a UN-recognized event held every year on June 8 with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of marine ecosystems to the planet. The theme of the 2017 event was 鈥淥ur Oceans, Our Future鈥� and DiCaprio prepared a special video, shown at UN headquarters in New York, outlining the dire threats the world鈥檚 oceans are facing.

7.  Pudjiastuti was featured in a Manga Issue

Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term manga is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning. Outside of Japan, the word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country.

Susi鈥檚 appeared in the December 13, 2016 issue of the legendary Japanese comic book Golgo 13 (which started in 1968 and has been written and drawn by creator Takao Saito). It is the manga still in continuous publication. It  was first noticed by Twitter user @IwanPalsu. Although the character is never specifically referred to as Susi, it was clear not just from the picture but also the story (which is set in Indonesia and Timor-Leste) and dialogue that Saito is talking about Susi.

8.  Pudjiastuti  Hosts a Talk Show

Susi hosts the talk show Susi Cek Ombak (Susi Checks the Waves) on Metro TV, covering trending topics from sustainability to government, education and more.

Metro TV is an Indonesian free-to-air television news network based in West Jakarta. It was established on 25 November 2000 and now has over 52 relay stations all over the country. It is owned by Surya Paloh who also owns the Media Indonesia daily.

9.  Pudjiastuti has very Visble Tatoos

Susi Pudjiastuti earned celebrity status with her appointment last month as Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The husky-voice, non-nonsense entrepreneur was already widely known for starting up a successful charter airline in her name, Susi Air. As it grew so did her reputation for doing business.

But it was the tattoo on her leg, among a few other things, that popped up in most media reports after she was named to President Joko Widodo鈥檚 cabinet. She was the first of her kind in Indonesian politics. Her meteoric rise has turned her into a pop culture icon, nationally and globally.

10.  Pudjiastuti is High School Drop-Out

In October 2014, Indonesian President Joko Widodo appointed the first-ever high school dropout to his country鈥檚 cabinet. At the time of her appointment, Susi Pudjiastuti, the new Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, was one of eight women among Widodo鈥檚 cabinet ministers, another first for the rapidly developing Southeast Asian nation.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who only got her high school diploma in2018 made it onto Foreign Policy magazine鈥檚 2019 Global Thinkers list. It is alleged that when she was Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti didn鈥檛 like jargon. If she got memos with words like synchronization or empowerment — what she calls “words with wings” — she would throws them out, talk of an old dog and new tricks.

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Susi is known for being a no-nonsense leader in terms of fighting against illegal fishing as she spearheaded Jokowi鈥檚 first-term administration鈥檚 tough measures of sinking any boats caught fishing illegally in the country鈥檚 waters.