JAKARTA – For more than a decade, former West Java governor Ridwan Kamil was Indonesia’s Instagram darling: a Berkeley-educated architect, a devout Muslim and a father whose family posts made him seem approachable, even relatable.

Affectionately known as Kang Emil, the 54-year-old crafted a persona that blurred the line between politician and celebrity. He rose from mayor of Bandung, a post he held from 2013 to 2018, to lead West Java, the country’s most populous province, from 2018 to 2023.