Idrus Marham is an Indonesian politician who served as social affairs minister under President Joko Widodo for seven months in 2018 before resigning because of a corruption scandal. He was jailed in 2019 for taking bribes from a businessman via a legislator to finance his failed bid to become chairman of Golkar Party. He was released from jail in September 2020. Prior to his political career, Idrus was a lecturer at various universities in Jakarta. Early life and education Idrus was born in Pinrang, South Sulawesi. As a youth, he was involved in Karang Taruna youth organization and the Nahdlatul Ulama Students Association (IPNU). After completing elementary school, Idrus attended State Religious Teacher Education (Pendidikan Guru Agama Negeri) vocational school in Pare-Pare. In junior high school, he joined the Intra-School Student Organization (OSIS). After completing high school in 1979, Idrus studied at the Syariah Faculty of the Alauddin State Institute of Islamic Studies in Makassar. In 1983, he studied at the Syariah Faculty of the Walisongo State Institute of Islamic Studies in Semarang. In 2009, Idrus received his doctorate in political science from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta with a dissertation on "Half-Hearted Democracy; A Case Study of the Political Elite in the Indonesian Parliament of 1999-2004". Academic career Idrus lectured at several universities in Jakarta, including Tarumanegara University, Attahiriyah Islamic University (UNIAT) Jakarta, and 17 Agustus 1945 University. He was also Assistant Rector III of UNIAT Jakarta from 1987 to 1992. Politics Idrus became a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 1997, representing the nation's "youth" element. At that time, he was known as a mosque activist and had served as general chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Youth Communication Agency (BKPRMI). In 2002, he became deputy coordinator for the Election-Winning Institute of Golkar Party's Central Executive Board. In the same year, at the age of 40, he became general chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI DPP) and deputy secretary general of Golkar's youth wing (AMPG). In 2003, he became a member of the advisory board of the Indonesian Youth Renewal Force (AMPI). In 2005, he became vice president of the World Assembly of Youth. As a member of Golkar Party, Idrus was elected to the House of Representatives (DPR) for three consecutive terms: 1999–2004, 2004-2009 and 2009–2014, each time representing Electoral District III of South Sulawesi. In his final term