Iskandar Ramis

Iskandar was born on 25 July 1946 in Curup, a small town in the Bengkulu region.^[1] Iskandar entered the National Military Academy after graduating from high school and began his military career as a second lieutenant in 1970.^[2] He held various commands in the Indonesian Army, including the 621th Manuntung Infantry Battalion, from 1985 until 1986.^[3] Iskandar also studied at the University of Indonesia and obtained a Master of Science degree from the university in 1995.^[4] After that, Iskandar pursued further military studies for a few months at the Indonesian Armed Forces Staff and Command School (Sesko ABRI).^[5]

When Iskandar was sworn in as vice governor, he was still active in the military with the rank of colonel. He was promoted to brigadier general on 1 October 1996.^[6] Following the armed forces internal reformation that occurred in 1998, active military officers were banned from holding political offices, and Iskandar was retired from the military in 1999.^[7]

Shortly after finishing studying at Sesko ABRI, Iskandar was appointed as the vice governor of Bengkulu. He was installed on 9 January 1996, along with two other vice governors,^[5] by Minister of Home Affairs Yogie Suardi Memet.^[8]

Following the 2000 Enggano earthquake, Iskandar headed the earthquake's relief task force.^[9] Iskandar described that the main problem for the survivors was clean water access, as water pipes had already been damaged during the earthquake.^[10]