Farewell, Mr. Rachmat Gobel

“No one knows whether they will live to see tomorrow’s sunrise. But everyone can choose how they will be remembered when the sun finally rises without them. Rachmat Gobel chose to leave behind a legacy, not merely memories.”

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Will we still be alive tomorrow morning? No one knows.

We can make plans, work hard, and do our utmost, but life ultimately lies beyond our control. It is a gift, and God alone is both its giver and its owner.

Death, as the saying goes, "comes like a thief in the night." The expression is not meant to inspire fear, but to remind us to live in constant readiness—to remain vigilant and steadfast in doing what is right. Death may come at any moment, without warning.

The more important question is not, Will we still be alive tomorrow morning? Rather, it is this: If tonight were our last night, have we lived well? Have we loved others, forgiven those who wronged us, and made peace with God?

There is another old saying: Live each day as though it were your last, but work as though you will live for another hundred years. It teaches a delicate balance: plan responsibly for the future, but never postpone acts of kindness, words of gratitude, apologies, or expressions of love to those who matter most.

We do not hold tomorrow in our hands. We hold only today. And today is the opportunity God has entrusted to us—to live with faith, hope, and love. The future belongs to God, but our faithfulness is measured by the choices we make today.

When news of Rachmat Gobel's passing broke on the morning of Friday, July 10, few among his friends and acquaintances could believe it. Only a day earlier, on Thursday, he had appeared healthy and energetic. He had worked late into the evening and even exercised before returning home around 11 p.m.

His wife and children said everything seemed perfectly normal. After showering and spending time talking with his family, he went to bed.

Shortly before 3 a.m.—the hour when he routinely woke for the Tahajjud prayer—his family noticed that something was wrong. He was rushed to Brawijaya Hospital, just a short distance from his residence on Jalan Supomo in South Jakarta. Doctors soon informed the family that, clinically, he had already passed away.

He died peacefully, surrounded by those he loved, without leaving a final message."No, he wasn't ill. Perhaps it was simply his time," said his son, Mohammad Arif Rachmat Gobel, after the burial at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Friday.

Arif said his father had no known history of serious illness before his death. No member of the family had anticipated that he would leave them so suddenly at the age of 64.

"Thank God, he returned in the most ideal way—without illness, without suffering," said Rachmat Gobel's only son. He is survived by his wife, Retno Damayanti, and two children, Nurfitria Sekarwillis Kusumawardhani and Mohammad Arif Rachmat Gobel.

Arif remembered his father as far more than a parent. "He was not only our father, but also our teacher and mentor. We have lost someone irreplaceable."

Prepared for the Future

When a group of Indonesian newspaper editors was invited to Osaka and Tokyo in April 2025, Arif—short for Mohammad Arif Rachmat Gobel—was part of the delegation. Together with Heru Santoso, a director of Panasonic Gobel Indonesia, he tirelessly looked after our travel arrangements, accommodations, and meetings.

It was no accident. His father had taught him that leadership begins with service. A leader is, first and foremost, a servant.

I still remember the dinner hosted by Toshihiro Nikai, the veteran Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) politician, at Sushizanmai in Tokyo on April 18, 2025. Arif was there, quietly making sure everything ran smoothly.

It was an especially memorable evening. That day marked Arif's 30th birthday, and Nikai offered him a piece of advice that would resonate far beyond the celebration: never make a habit of speaking ill of others.

Criticizing people behind their backs, the 87-year-old statesman said, damages reputations—particularly when what is said is incomplete, misleading, or stripped of context.

As a politician, Nikai understood that such behavior erodes trust and harmony. It breeds suspicion, poisons relationships, and, over time, creates a culture in which people seek to undermine rather than support one another. Eventually, he warned, those who gossip become the subjects of gossip themselves. No political organization—or any institution, for that matter—can remain strong in such an atmosphere.

The dinner itself was remarkable. Joining the gathering were Kiyoshi Kimura, founder and owner of Sushizanmai; Rachmat Gobel, chairman of the Indonesia-Japan Friendship Association and chairman and shareholder of Panasonic Gobel Group; and a number of prominent Japanese and Indonesian business leaders, including Shigeo Fukuda, Ryuhei Ohno, Hiroshi Ninomiya, Ryoichi Muranishi, Hiramsyah S. Thaib, Heru Santoso, and Mohammad Arif Rachmat Gobel.

The venue made the evening even more memorable. This was Sushizanmai's flagship restaurant, and Kimura himself joined the dinner.

It was clear that Nikai, Kimura, and Rachmat Gobel shared a long-standing friendship.

Kimura had visited Gorontalo in September 2022 for the Tuna Culinary Festival, bringing with him five Japanese chefs and several expert tuna cutters. Known throughout Japan as the "Tuna King," he is famous for winning the annual auctions for prized bluefin tuna at Tokyo's fish market.

Sushizanmai occupies the highest tier of Japan's sushi industry. The sashimi it serves does not simply come from wholesale markets but is sourced directly from fishing operations owned by Kimura's company. Even then, not every tuna qualifies.

Kimura famously judges the quality of tuna by tasting the seawater where the fish are caught. During his visit to Gorontalo, he sampled the local waters and concluded that the tuna there did not meet Sushizanmai's standards. The finest tuna, he said, comes from the waters of Halmahera and eastern Indonesia, around Maluku and Papua.

What few people realized was that Arif had already established a relationship with Sushizanmai's management. He was quietly encouraging the company to expand into Indonesia.

"Arif handled the entire presentation himself," Heru Santoso recalled. "Mr. Rachmat wasn't involved."

It was another lesson in how Rachmat Gobel prepared his son for leadership.

Beyond learning the technical aspects of the electronics business—the core of Panasonic Gobel's operations—Arif was given every opportunity to immerse himself in Japanese culture and politics. Whenever his father met with influential Japanese business leaders or politicians, Arif was invited to join.

The Fukuda Connection

Rachmat Gobel maintained a close friendship with Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's 91st prime minister, who served from 2007 to 2008.

The Fukuda family is one of the most influential political dynasties in modern Japanese history. Originating from Gunma Prefecture, it has shaped Japanese politics for decades through the Liberal Democratic Party. Its influence spans generations, producing two prime ministers and a continuing line of national political leaders.

The family's most prominent figure was Takeo Fukuda, Japan's 67th prime minister, who served from 1976 to 1978 and was Yasuo's father.

Across Southeast Asia, Takeo Fukuda is remembered for the Fukuda Doctrine, announced in 1977. The doctrine became the cornerstone of Japan's postwar relationship with ASEAN, emphasizing equality, mutual trust, and peaceful, long-term cooperation. It fundamentally reshaped Japan's engagement with Southeast Asia, including Indonesia.

Yasuo Fukuda carried that legacy forward, pursuing a moderate foreign policy that strengthened ties with neighboring countries, particularly China, while preserving Japan's stabilizing role in Asia.

Today, the family's political tradition continues through Tatsuo Fukuda, Yasuo's son and Takeo's grandson. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, Tatsuo serves in Japan's House of Representatives and previously chaired the party's General Council. His career reflects the Fukuda family's enduring influence on Japanese politics.

During our visit to Japan in April 2025, Rachmat Gobel arranged for us to meet Tatsuo Fukuda as well.

Arif now represents the third generation of the Gobel family to lead Gobel Group, one of Indonesia's oldest and most diversified business conglomerates, with a history spanning more than seven decades.

Its businesses range from manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, property, and trading to a wide array of strategic industries. Since its founding, the group has cultivated deep and lasting partnerships with Japanese companies and political leaders—most notably through its decades-long alliance with Panasonic, alongside collaborations with other global partners.

Groomed to Lead

Arif has often said that his father raised him with the same strict discipline that Rachmat himself had inherited from his own father, H. Thayeb Mohammad Gobel, who founded Gobel Group in 1954.

Driven by a vision of building Indonesia's industrial base, Thayeb established a transistor radio factory in Cawang, East Jakarta, in 1957. The radios, sold under the Transistor and Tjawang brands, marked the beginning of what would become one of Indonesia's most prominent industrial groups.

Before his father's death, Arif had already assumed significant responsibilities within the family business. He served as a director of Gobel Group, the holding company, while also holding key positions at several flagship subsidiaries, including PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia and Gotrans Logistics International.

His work has focused on accelerating business growth, strengthening human capital, and leading the group's digital transformation to enhance its competitiveness in an increasingly digital economy.

Under Arif's leadership, Gobel Group has continued to position itself as a trusted bridge connecting global technology, investment, and innovation with Indonesia's development needs.

He has also championed the company's adaptation to a changing business landscape through technological innovation, greater operational efficiency, and business models designed for long-term sustainability.

Educated in both Australia and Japan, Arif brings an international perspective to the company while maintaining a pragmatic leadership style. He is known for his strong commitment to innovation, operational excellence, talent development, and building an organization resilient enough to meet future challenges.

His mission is to preserve the values that have long defined Gobel Group while guiding the company through an era of digital transformation and sustainable growth.

Konosuke's Lessons

To Rachmat Gobel, Panasonic was never merely a global electronics brand. Behind the name lay a much deeper story—one rooted in hard work, loyalty to partners, investment in people, and the belief that a company exists to serve society.

PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia traces its origins to the partnership forged by his father, H. Thayeb Mohammad Gobel, and Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric. That alliance united Japanese business philosophy with Indonesia's industrial ambitions, enduring across generations.

Rachmat often recalled meeting Konosuke when he was just 26 years old.

The legendary Japanese industrialist—widely regarded as one of the greatest management thinkers of the twentieth century—presented him with an essay titled The Attitude of a Young Man.

In it, Konosuke urged him to cultivate the spirit of a warrior: to work hard, uphold discipline, honor cooperation, and value enduring partnerships. Those words became guiding principles as Rachmat assumed responsibility for preserving and expanding the Gobel family's relationship with Matsushita in Indonesia.

Konosuke also introduced him to two Japanese values that left a lasting impression: sunao and kokoro.

Sunao embodies sincerity, humility, openness, and an unprejudiced mind. It encourages people to see others—and the challenges they face—as they truly are, accepting reality without bias and building relationships grounded in trust.

In business, sunao means working without narrow self-interest, resisting personal ambition, and placing the long-term success of the company and the well-being of society above individual gain.

Kokoro, meanwhile, literally means "heart." It teaches that work should be performed wholeheartedly, with responsibility and a genuine sense of ownership. Employees should do more than carry out assigned tasks professionally. They should think like entrepreneurs—constantly seeking opportunities, improving processes, and creating new value.

For Rachmat, sunao and kokoro were more than expressions from Japanese culture. They formed the moral foundation of relationships among people, businesses, and society itself.

Trust, he believed, cannot be built solely through contracts. It grows from sincerity, commitment, transparency, and mutual respect. Konosuke also emphasized one habit that Rachmat never forgot: expressing gratitude.

A simple, heartfelt "thank you," Konosuke believed, strengthens the bonds between leaders and employees, companies and business partners, and producers and consumers alike.

Building a Global Electronics Giant

The story of Matsushita began in 1918. Konosuke Matsushita started a modest workshop producing electrical fittings, primarily sockets and light fixtures. In the early years, the business consisted of little more than his family and a handful of workers.

He built the company despite enormous disadvantages. He never attended university and did not even complete elementary school. Yet he possessed an exceptional ability to recognize society's needs and a firm conviction that electrical products should combine high quality with affordability.

From that small workshop, Matsushita Electric grew into one of the world's leading manufacturers of electrical and electronic products.

Its portfolio expanded to include lighting, radios, batteries, household appliances, televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and countless other consumer electronics.

For decades, many of these products were marketed under the National brand in Japan and across much of Asia. The name became synonymous with durable, practical, and reliable household electronics.

The Panasonic brand, by contrast, was initially reserved for international markets. The name was chosen to reflect electronics—particularly audio products—that could appeal to consumers around the world.

For many years, the two brands existed side by side, giving rise to the familiar National Panasonic name.

Across Asia, including Indonesia, National Panasonic became a household name. Its televisions, radios, electric fans, refrigerators, washing machines, and countless other appliances became fixtures in millions of homes for generations.

As Matsushita Electric evolved into one of the world's largest electronics companies, the philosophy of its founder remained central to its identity, even as management changed and the founding family's ownership gradually diminished.

Konosuke believed that a corporation does not exist solely for its shareholders.

It is a public institution whose survival depends on society's trust. Its responsibility, therefore, is to produce goods that are useful, well made, durable, and affordable for as many people as possible.

In 1932, during the depths of the global economic depression, when the company faced severe challenges, Konosuke delivered a landmark address to his employees. He reminded them that businesses must lead society forward—not through privilege, but through relentless hard work and innovation.

Business as a Sacred Mission: Konosuke's Philosophy of Water

To Konosuke Matsushita, business was never merely about generating profit. It carried a higher purpose: to help eliminate poverty and improve people's quality of life. A company fulfilled that mission by producing goods in large quantities, of consistently high quality, and at prices ordinary people could afford.

That philosophy shaped everything that followed. Konosuke often used water as the ideal metaphor for what a product should be. Water is abundant, accessible, and affordable. Everyone can benefit from it.

He believed essential goods should be the same. Mass production, in his view, was never an end in itself. The objective was not simply to sell more products but to make them less expensive, allowing more people to enjoy a better standard of living.

Affordability, however, could never come at the expense of quality. Products had to be durable and genuinely worth what consumers paid for them. Companies should never seek profits by compromising the interests of society.

Konosuke even argued that a company's greatest satisfaction should come from knowing its products were trusted and embraced by the public.

Profit was the result of creating value—not the purpose of the enterprise itself. It was this philosophy of water that found a natural counterpart in the business philosophy of H. Thayeb Mohammad Gobel in Indonesia.

Thayeb founded his electronics business with a vision of building the nation's industrial base. Beginning with transistor radios produced in Cawang, East Jakarta, he later manufactured televisions at the request of President Sukarno for the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.

The decision to produce radios was not driven solely by commercial considerations. Thayeb wanted Indonesians to have affordable access to information—to follow national developments and hear the government's messages during a formative period in the country's history.

At the time, Indonesia's electronics industry was still in its infancy. Most consumer electronics were imported, while domestic technological and manufacturing capabilities remained limited.

Recognizing that Indonesia could not build a modern electronics industry alone, Thayeb sought a partner with advanced technology, manufacturing expertise, disciplined management, and an international network.

He found that partner in Matsushita Electric. On July 27, 1960, Thayeb Mohammad Gobel and Konosuke Matsushita formally entered into a partnership that would shape the future of Indonesia's electronics industry.

It was far more than a licensing agreement or a technology transfer. The two men shared a common belief about the role of business in society. Konosuke envisioned products flowing to people as abundantly as water. Thayeb wanted his company to grow like a banana tree.

Gobel's Philosophy of the Banana Tree

Born in Gorontalo on September 12, 1930, and passing away in Jakarta on July 21, 1984, at the age of 54, H. Thayeb Mohammad Gobel is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Indonesia's electronics industry.

A defining moment in his life came in 1957, when he received a Colombo Plan scholarship to study in Japan. It was there that he met Konosuke Matsushita.

Around 1980, Thayeb articulated what became known as his banana tree philosophy. He chose the banana tree because of its remarkable generosity and usefulness.

For him, no symbol better represented what a company should be. A banana tree grows easily in many places. From a single trunk emerge new shoots, which in turn develop into an entire grove.

To Thayeb, this represented the ideal path for industry: a business should not remain confined to one location but should spread, grow, and generate new economic activity wherever it takes root. Nearly every part of the banana tree serves a purpose.

Its fruit is eaten. Its leaves are widely used. Its trunk and other parts provide practical value.

A company, Thayeb believed, should likewise benefit everyone connected to it—employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, and the communities in which it operates. The harmony between Konosuke's philosophy of water and Thayeb's philosophy of the banana tree became one of the strongest foundations of the Gobel-Matsushita partnership.

Water symbolizes abundance and accessibility. The banana tree symbolizes growth, renewal, and shared prosperity. Together, the two philosophies complemented one another, helping sustain one of Asia's longest-lasting business partnerships.

In 1981, Emperor Hirohito awarded Thayeb Gobel the Third Class Order of the Sacred Treasure, recognizing his contributions to strengthening relations between Indonesia and Japan.

Like Konosuke, Thayeb cultivated relationships not only with business leaders but also with Japanese politicians. Rachmat Gobel would later follow that path. Today, so does Arif Gobel.

Bringing Television to Indonesia

The partnership between Gobel and Matsushita soon produced one of the most significant milestones in Indonesia's industrial history.

With technical support from Matsushita Electric, PT Transistor Radio Manufacturing Indonesia manufactured approximately 10,000 black-and-white television sets in 1962.

The televisions were produced so Indonesians could watch the Fourth Asian Games, hosted in Jakarta that year. The project marked a turning point in the country's television industry.

One of the first sets was presented to Fatmawati Sukarno, Indonesia's First Lady. The achievement represented far more than a successful business venture.

It demonstrated that Indonesian industry could absorb advanced technology, develop domestic manufacturing capabilities, and meet the needs of its own people.

The National brand soon became a household name across Indonesia. Its radios, televisions, electric fans, batteries, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and other home appliances earned a reputation for reliability and durability.

Later, under the National Panasonic brand, those products became woven into the daily lives of generations of Indonesian families.

The Birth of Panasonic Gobel Indonesia

After nearly a decade of collaboration, the relationship between Gobel and Matsushita evolved into a full-fledged joint venture. On July 27, 1970, the two companies established PT National Gobel.

The move marked a new chapter in their partnership. What had begun as technical assistance and manufacturing cooperation expanded into a comprehensive alliance encompassing capital investment, management, technology, marketing, and human resource development.

PT National Gobel soon emerged as one of the pioneers of Indonesia's electronics industry, manufacturing and marketing a wide range of household appliances.

The National brand became one of the country's most recognizable names in consumer electronics. In many Indonesian households, National products were used for decades and passed down from one generation to the next.

The partnership endured because both sides remained committed to three fundamental principles: exclusivity, mutual benefit, and mutual trust.

From the outset, Thayeb Gobel asked Matsushita not to form similar partnerships with other companies in Indonesia. In return, the Gobel family pledged to make Matsushita its sole strategic partner in the electronics business.

Rachmat Gobel often said the alliance had survived for so long because it rested on mutual benefit and mutual trust.

Each side prospered from the relationship, but both also upheld transparency, loyalty, and a shared commitment to developing Indonesia's industrial base.

As Matsushita later consolidated its global brands under the Panasonic name, the company gradually phased out the National brand in international markets.

In 2004, PT National Gobel officially became PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia. The name changed, but the essence of the partnership remained the same: trust, technology transfer, human development, innovation, and a commitment to serving society.

Panasonic Gobel Indonesia continued to expand its operations, manufacturing and marketing radios, cameras, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, batteries, electrical equipment, and a wide range of household appliances.

Over time, the company also developed an extensive ecosystem of local suppliers, distributors, dealers, service centers, and Indonesian workers. Panasonic Gobel was no longer simply producing electronics.

It had become an integral part of Indonesia's industrial development. The partnership remains one of the most enduring examples of a successful Indonesia-Japan joint venture—one that has survived across generations. The relationship begun by Thayeb Gobel and Konosuke Matsushita was faithfully carried forward by Rachmat Gobel.

The Legacy of Two Founders

As the eldest son of Thayeb Mohammad Gobel, Rachmat inherited more than a company and a title. He inherited the responsibility of preserving the values that had united two families and two business groups for generations.

Konosuke's teachings—about courage, discipline, hard work, cooperation, and enduring partnerships—became guiding principles throughout his career. So did the ideals of sunao and kokoro, emphasizing sincerity, openness, responsibility, and wholehearted dedication.

Rachmat believed a successful company must combine professional management with an entrepreneurial spirit. Employees should never see themselves merely as people carrying out instructions.

They should feel a genuine sense of ownership, understand society's needs, and continually search for new ways to innovate. He also believed the longevity of the Gobel-Panasonic partnership could not be explained by commercial success alone.

Its strength came from both parties' unwavering commitment to the principles established at the beginning. The relationship was never built solely on sales figures or financial returns.

It was nurtured through decades of mutual learning, mutual respect, and mutual trust. Konosuke Matsushita contributed the philosophy of water: products should be abundant, affordable, and accessible to everyone.

Thayeb Mohammad Gobel contributed the philosophy of the banana tree: businesses should continue to grow, send forth new shoots, and spread benefits wherever they take root.

Between those two philosophies, Rachmat Gobel guided the journey of Panasonic Gobel Indonesia. Water must continue to flow if it is to sustain life.

A banana tree must continue producing new shoots if its benefits are to extend beyond a single generation. And sunao and kokoro ensured that the entire journey remained grounded in sincerity, humility, and wholehearted commitment.

The Man Behind the Legacy

Rachmat Gobel was one of the rare figures who successfully bridged industry, politics, and economic diplomacy.

He died on July 10, 2026, at the age of 64, while serving as a member of Indonesia's House of Representatives for the 2024–2029 term, representing Gorontalo under the NasDem Party.

In Parliament, he chaired his party's working group in Commission VI, which oversees trade, industry, investment, and state-owned enterprises, and also served on the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP).

Born into the family that founded Gobel Group, Rachmat was the fifth child and first son of H. Thayeb Mohammad Gobel and Annie Nento Gobel.

The Gobel family traces its roots to Gorontalo and is descended from Sultan Ibrahim Duawulu, also known as the King of Hubulo of the Bolango Sultanate.

In recognition of his service to his ancestral homeland, the Gorontalo Traditional Council bestowed upon him the honorary title Pulanga Ti Bulilango Hunggia, or "Bearer of the Light of the Nation," on May 18, 2000.

From childhood, Rachmat was groomed to become a leader. Every school holiday, his father required him to work in the factory alongside ordinary employees.

It was there, not in boardrooms, that he learned leadership—through understanding production, embracing discipline, and respecting every worker's contribution.

A Life Shaped by Discipline

After graduating from high school in 1981, Rachmat chose to continue his education at Chuo University in Tokyo, majoring in international trade. The decision was about far more than earning a university degree.

He wanted to master the Japanese language, understand the country's culture and work ethic, and strengthen Gobel Group's relationship with its most important partner, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., now known as Panasonic Corporation.

Upon completing his studies, he spent two years at Matsushita's headquarters in Osaka, rotating through different divisions to gain firsthand experience of Japanese industrial management and corporate culture.

While in Japan, Rachmat had the rare opportunity to meet Konosuke Matsushita, Panasonic's legendary founder.

From the man often called the "god of management," he absorbed the principles of sunao—sincerity and openness—and kokoro—working wholeheartedly—as well as the conviction that a corporation exists to improve society's well-being.

Those values blended naturally with his father's philosophy of the banana tree: a business should continue to grow, nurture new generations, and benefit the communities around it. Returning to Indonesia in 1989, Rachmat began assuming leadership within the family enterprise.

He first served as Assistant to the President Director of PT National Gobel, before advancing through a succession of senior positions—as director, vice president director, president director of PT National Panasonic Gobel, and ultimately president commissioner of PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia.

Under his leadership, the company evolved into one of Indonesia's largest electronics manufacturers.

More importantly, it weathered the Asian financial crisis of 1998 while preserving the partnership between Gobel and Panasonic—a relationship that had endured since 1960 because it was built on trust, transparency, and mutual benefit.

Championing Indonesian Industry

Beyond leading Gobel Group, Rachmat became one of Indonesia's foremost advocates for industrial development.

He chaired the Indonesian Electronics Manufacturers Association (GABEL) and the Federation of Electronics and Telematics Industry Associations (F-GABEL). He also served within the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the National Innovation Committee, the Indonesian Renewable Energy Society (METI), and as chairman of the Indonesia-Japan Friendship Association.

His interests extended well beyond business. In sports administration, he served as vice chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, executive chairman of the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (PB IPSI), executive chairman of Persilat, and executive chairman of the Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (INASOC) for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

His public service later expanded into government. President Joko Widodo appointed him Minister of Trade in 2014, a position he held until 2015. From 2017 to 2019, he served as the president's special envoy to Japan before entering the legislature.

During the 2019–2024 parliamentary term, he served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was re-elected for the 2024–2029 term, serving until his death.

A Cultural Ambassador

Outside business and politics, Rachmat Gobel was a passionate advocate for Indonesian culture. He actively promoted batik, keris, jamu, pencak silat, angklung, and a wide range of Indonesian creative industries on the international stage.

To him, economic progress should never come at the expense of cultural identity. He also remained deeply devoted to Gorontalo, the province of his family's origins.

Since 2019, he had represented Gorontalo in Parliament, devoting much of his time and energy to advancing its development. "Developing Gorontalo is my father's mandate to me," Rachmat often said.

From childhood, his family's home in Jakarta frequently welcomed relatives from Gorontalo seeking better opportunities in the capital. His father taught him to treat every member of the extended family with kindness and dignity.

Rachmat carried that lesson throughout his life. He took immense pride in Gorontalo's traditions.

Accordingly, his funeral combined full military honors with traditional Gorontalo funeral rites. Throughout his life, Rachmat Gobel demonstrated that leadership is not measured solely by the size of the companies one builds or the offices one holds.

He viewed industry as a means of creating jobs, politics as a form of service to the nation, and partnerships as bridges connecting Indonesia to the wider world. That is the legacy he leaves behind.

In Arif's Hands

When Arif addressed mourners at his father's funeral, he spoke calmly. Despite his profound grief, his voice remained steady.

He chose not to display his sorrow publicly. Every word he spoke was delivered with composure, and every person present listened in silence.

If Rachmat Gobel could have witnessed that moment, he would surely have felt proud. At the very least, his son's appearance before the public during one of life's most difficult moments revealed a maturity that had been years in the making.

At just 31, Arif demonstrated remarkable emotional discipline and quiet strength. His father had spent years preparing him for leadership, and that preparation was unmistakably evident.

When Rachmat lost his own father, he was only 22. Arif was 31 when he lost his.

By then, he was married, serving as a director of Gobel Group and holding key responsibilities within Panasonic Gobel Indonesia. Just as Rachmat had been rigorously trained by his father, Arif had been shaped by the same demanding discipline.

No one in the family expected Rachmat Gobel's sudden passing. Least of all Arif. His father had shown no signs of illness. He departed simply because, in the end, life belongs to its Creator. One thing, however, was certain.

Rachmat Gobel had prepared his son well. Arif was ready to lead Gobel Group and to carry forward the long-standing joint venture between Gobel Group and Panasonic Corporation through PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia.

The greatest inheritance a leader leaves behind is not a company, a title, or wealth. It is the people he prepares to continue the journey. Rachmat Gobel accomplished exactly that. Now, the baton has passed to Arif Gobel.

Farewell, Rachmat Gobel.

May Almighty God receive all that you accomplished in service to others, and may the values you leave behind continue to flourish—like the banana tree you so admired, forever sending forth new shoots that bring life and benefit to generations to come.