Who Is Tsamara Amany? Biodata, Wiki, Age, Husband, Parents, Education, Net Worth
Tsamara Amany is a 27-year-old Indonesian politician who is known for being a former leader of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), a spokesperson for President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin in the 2019 presidential election, and a vocal advocate for democracy, anti-corruption, tolerance, and women’s rights. She is also the wife of Ismail Fajrie Alatas, a professor at New York University and the son of the late prominent scholar and activist Ali Alatas.
Early Life and Background
Tsamara Amany was born on June 24, 1996, in Jakarta, Indonesia. She is the daughter of Muhammad Abdurachman Alatas, a mining businessman, and Nabila Zain Ba’abud, a housewife. She has two older brothers, Muhammad Alif Alatas and Muhammad Rafi Alatas.
Tsamara Amany Wiki/Bio
| Name | Tsamara Amany Alatas |
| Birth Date | June 24, 1996 |
| Birth Place | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Education | Paramadina University (S1), New York University (S2) |
| Political Party | Indonesian Solidarity Party (2017-2022), Independent (2022-present) |
| Spouse | Ismeth Alatas (m. 2015; div. 2017), Ismail Fajrie Alatas (m. 2019) |
| Parents | Muhammad Abdurachman Alatas, Nabila Zain Ba’abud |
| Siblings | Muhammad Alif Alatas, Muhammad Rafi Alatas |
| Social Media Links | Instagram: tsamaradki LinkedIn: tsamara-amany-442577117 Twitter: TsamaraDKI Wikipedia: Tsamara_Amany Youtube: @tsamaramany |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Education
Tsamara attended elementary and junior high school at Al-Azhar Islamic School in Jakarta. She then moved to Singapore for her senior high school, where she graduated from the Singapore International School in 2014. She returned to Indonesia to pursue her bachelor’s degree in communication science at Paramadina University, a private university in Jakarta. She graduated magna cum laude in 2018, with a thesis on the influence of PSI’s multimedia campaign on Facebook on the political information sharing of young people.
In 2020, Tsamara received a Fulbright scholarship to continue her master’s degree in public policy and media studies at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She completed her degree in December 2022, with a focus on the role of social media in political communication and mobilization.
Nationality, Ethnicity, and Religion
Tsamara is an Indonesian citizen by birth and belongs to the Alatas clan, a prominent family of Arab-Indonesian descent. She is a devout Muslim, who performs the daily prayers and observes the fasting during Ramadan.
Husband and Kids
Tsamara Amany is married to Ismail Fajrie Alatas, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at New York University and the son of the late Ali Alatas, a former foreign minister and a respected diplomat. They had a simple and intimate wedding ceremony in New York, attended by their close family and friends, on October 19, 2019. They do not have any kids yet.
Tsamara Amany was previously married to Ismeth Alatas, a journalist and the son of the former chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mahfud MD. However, the marriage only lasted for two years, and they divorced in 2017. Tsamara later revealed that the divorce was due to domestic violence and infidelity from her ex-husband.
Parents and Siblings
Tsamara Amany is the daughter of Muhammad Abdurachman Alatas, a mining businessman, and Nabila Zain Ba’abud, a housewife. She has two older brothers, Muhammad Alif Alatas and Muhammad Rafi Alatas.
Political Career
Tsamara’s interest in politics began when she was a teenager. She was inspired by the 2014 presidential election, which saw the victory of Joko Widodo, a former governor of Jakarta and a political outsider, over Prabowo Subianto, a former general and a political elite. She joined the volunteer team of Joko Widodo, known as Relawan Jokowi, and helped with the online campaign and social media strategy.
In 2015, Tsamara married Ismeth Alatas, a journalist and the son of the former chairman of the Constitutional Court, Mahfud MD. However, the marriage only lasted for two years, and they divorced in 2017. Tsamara later revealed that the divorce was due to domestic violence and infidelity from her ex-husband.
In 2016, Tsamara became an intern for the Jakarta provincial government, under the leadership of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok, the then governor of Jakarta and the ally of Joko Widodo. She was assigned to the team that handled the one-stop integrated service (PTSP), the simplification of business permits, and the improvement of the ease of doing business ranking in Jakarta.
In 2017, Tsamara joined the newly established PSI, a political party that aimed to represent the young, urban, and progressive voters in Indonesia. She became the head of the external affairs department of the party’s central executive board (DPP), and was responsible for the party’s communication, media, and public relations. She also became one of the founders of the Women’s Political Organization (Perempuan Politik), a non-governmental organization that advocated for the empowerment and participation of women in politics.
In 2019, Tsamara ran for the legislative election as a PSI candidate for the House of Representatives (DPR) from the electoral districts of Jakarta Selatan, Jakarta Pusat, and Overseas. She managed to secure the second-highest number of votes in her district, with around 140,000 votes, only behind Hidayat Nurwahid, a senior politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). However, she failed to win a seat in the parliament, as PSI did not reach the 4% parliamentary threshold.
In the same year, Tsamara also served as a spokesperson for the presidential ticket of Joko Widodo and Ma’ruf Amin, who faced a rematch with Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno. She was one of the youngest and most vocal spokespersons in the campaign, often engaging in debates and arguments with the spokespersons of the opposing camp.
In 2020, Tsamara married Ismail Fajrie Alatas, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at New York University and the son of the late Ali Alatas, a former foreign minister and a respected diplomat. They had a simple and intimate wedding ceremony in New York, attended by their close family and friends.
Rise To Fame
In 2022, Tsamara announced her resignation from PSI, after serving for five years in the party. She said that she wanted to focus on the issues of women and democracy and that she felt that PSI had deviated from its original vision and mission. She also said that she wanted to be an independent politician, without being bound by any party affiliation.
In 2023, Tsamara was appointed as a special staff for the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir, who is also a close ally of Joko Widodo. She was assigned to handle the public policy issues of the ministry and to provide inputs and recommendations to the minister. She said that she accepted the offer because she believed in Erick Thohir’s leadership and vision, and that she wanted to contribute to the development and reform of the state-owned enterprises sector.
Achievements
Tsamara is widely regarded as one of the most prominent and influential young politicians in Indonesia. She has received several awards and recognitions for her achievements and contributions, such as:
- The 100 Most Inspiring Women of Indonesia by Majalah Kartini in 2018
- The 30 Under 30 Asia by Forbes in 2019
- The 50 Most Influential Indonesian Millennials by Tirto.id in 2019
- The 100 Most Influential Young Indonesians by Youths Today in 2020
- The 100 Most Powerful Women of Indonesia by Globe Asia in 2021
Controversies
Tsamara is also known for her outspokenness and courage in expressing her opinions and views on various social and political issues, such as:
- She criticized the revision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law, which was seen as weakening the anti-corruption agency, and challenged the deputy speaker of the parliament, Fahri Hamzah, to a public debate on the issue.
- She defended the rights and dignity of the victims of human rights violations, such as the 1965 anti-communist purge, the 1998 student movement, and the Papua conflict, and condemned the attacks and intimidation against human rights activists and organizations.
- She advocated for the tolerance and diversity of Indonesia and denounced the discrimination and persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Ahmadiyya, the Shia, the Chinese, and the LGBT communities.
- She supported the empowerment and participation of women in politics and public life and called for the elimination of violence and harassment against women, both online and offline.
However, Tsamara’s outspokenness and courage have also made her a target of criticism and controversy from various groups and individuals, such as:
- She was accused of being a communist, a liberal, a feminist, and a traitor by some Islamic hardliners and nationalist groups, who often spread hate speech and hoaxes about her on social media and online platforms.
- She was sued for defamation by the former governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, for calling him a liar and a hypocrite during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, in which Anies defeated Ahok, Tsamara’s former boss and mentor.
- She was reported to the police for blasphemy by a lawyer, Denny Andrian Kusdayat, for allegedly insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad in one of her tweets, in which she quoted a verse from the Quran to criticize the intolerance and violence in the name of religion.
- She was involved in a plagiarism scandal, when a netizen accused her of copying some parts of her master’s thesis from a journal article, without proper citation and acknowledgment. Tsamara denied the accusation and said that she had followed the academic standards and ethics of her university.
Height, Weight & Physical Stats
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches |
| Weight | 121 lbs (55 kg) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Tsamara’s net worth is estimated to be around $3 million. She earns her income from her salary as a special staff of the minister, as well as from her other activities and projects, such as writing, speaking, and consulting. She also has some investments and assets, such as properties and stocks.
Tsamara lives a modest and simple lifestyle, despite her wealth and fame. She does not like to flaunt her luxury and extravagance and prefers to spend her money on things that matter to her, such as education, charity, and travel. She is also a devout Muslim, who performs the daily prayers and observes the fasting during Ramadan.
