{{Short description|Indonesian politician}} {{Indonesian name}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Sjoerkani | image = Wali Kota Medan Sjoerkani.jpg | caption = Sjoerkani as Mayor of Medan | office = Vice Governor of West Sumatra | term_start = October 1987 | term_end = 30 October 1992 | governor = Hasan Basri Durin | successor = Muchlis Ibrahim | predecessor = Sarudji Ismail | office1 = Regional Secretary of West Sumatra | term_start1 = 1981 | term_end1 = 1987 | predecessor1 = {{ill|v=ib|Mahyudin Algamar|id}} | successor1 = Karseno | office2 = Mayor of Medan | term_start2 = 26 September 1966 | term_end2 = 27 July 1974 | predecessor2 = Aminurrasjid | successor2 = Muhammad Saleh Arifin | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|8|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Solok, Dutch East Indies | death_date = {{death date and age|2007|2|5|1931|8|18|df=y}} | death_place = }} '''Sjoerkani''' (18 August 1931 – 5 February 2007)<ref name="ensiklopedia">{{cite book|title=Ensiklopedia Tokoh 1001 Orang Minang|editor1=Hasril Chaniago|editor2=Rahmat Irfan Denas|year=2023|publisher=UMSB Press|location=Padang|volume=3}}</ref> was an Indonesian bureaucrat and politician. He served as the vice governor of West Sumatra between 1987 and 1992, and was also the province's secretary between 1981 and 1987. He also served as the mayor of Medan between 1966 and 1974.

==Early life== Sjoerkani was born in Solok, today part of West Sumatra, on 18 August 1931. He studied in Padang and Bukittinggi, graduating from high school in 1951. In 1955, he began to work as a civil servant in Bukittinggi, part of the Central Sumatra provincial government, before enrolling at Gadjah Mada University to study governmental sciences.<ref name="ugm">{{cite book |title=Apa & siapa sejumlah alumni UGM. |date=1999 |publisher=LP3ES |isbn=978-979-8391-83-5 |pages=518–520 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XnCfAAAAMAAJ&dq=sjoerkani&pg=PA518 |language=id}}</ref>

==Career== After graduating from university, he was assigned as a civil servant at the North Sumatra Governor's office in Medan. He was considered as a candidate for city secretary of Medan in 1963, but was not selected.<ref name="ugm"/> On 26 September 1966, he was appointed as acting mayor of Medan to replace Aminurrasjid.<ref>{{cite book |title=Almanak pemerintah daerah Propinsi Sumatera Utara |date=1969 |page=880 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94HiAAAAMAAJ&dq=aminurrasjid+26+september+1966&pg=PA880 |language=id |last1=(Indonesia) |first1=Sumatera Utara }}</ref> His appointment was backed by the Pemuda Pancasila organization, who championed Sjoerkani's candidacy over that of another candidate backed by the regional military command.<ref>{{cite book |title=Inside Indonesia |date=1999 |publisher=Indonesia Resources and Information Programme |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N5ZuAAAAMAAJ&q=medan+sjoerkani+pemuda+pancasila |language=en}}</ref> Sjoerkani had been the vice president of Pemuda Patriotik, an organization which had practically merged with Pemuda Pancasila in 1965.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ryter |first1=Loren |title=Youth, Gangs, and the State in Indonesia |date=2002 |publisher=University of Washington |page=49 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H1S4AAAAIAAJ&q=sjoerkani+pemuda+patriotik |language=en}}</ref>

In January 1967, Sjoerkani announced a "crash" program to improve the city's infrastructure, including the repair of roads and ditches and the construction of a school and two clinics.<ref>{{cite book |title=Medan Press Summary |date=1967 |page=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_IVAQAAMAAJ&dq=sjoerkani+mayor+medan&pg=PA5-IA1 |language=en}}</ref> He also began celebrating the city's anniversary in 1970, initially setting the founding date on 1 April 1909. Following a controversy, Sjoerkani formed a special committee which instead placed the date at 1 July 1590, although this change would only be made official in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hari Jadi Kota Medan |url=https://portal.pemkomedan.go.id/menu/selayang-pandang/hari-jadi-kota-medan |publisher=Medan City Government |access-date=26 June 2023 |language=id}}</ref> In 1972, after the club won three consecutive national championships, Sjoerkani granted the city's football club PSMS Medan the {{ill|Kebun Bunga Stadium|id|Stadion Kebun Bunga}} as its home stadium.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stadion Kebun Bunga, Hadiah Walkot Medan ke PSMS Usai 3 Kali Juara |url=https://www.detik.com/sumut/sepakbola/d-6738829/stadion-kebun-bunga-hadiah-walkot-medan-ke-psms-usai-3-kali-juara |access-date=26 June 2023 |work=detiksumut |date=26 May 2023 |language=id-ID}}</ref> Sjoerkani was replaced by Muhammad Saleh Arifin on 27 July 1974.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kol. Saleh Arifin Penjabat Walikota Medan |url=https://data.kompas.id/artikel-detail/60e179186cba936abb6b6b25?query=saleh%20arifin%20wali%20kota&subject&datefrom&dateto&author&publication&typesearch=0&size=10&collection&page&currentpage=1&orderdirection |access-date=2 April 2023 |work=Kompas |date=31 July 1974 |page=2 |language=id |quote=Kol. Saleh Arifin Sabtu lalu dilantik menjadi Walikota Medan, menggantikan Drs. Syurkani}}</ref>

After his mayoral tenure, Sjoerkani became deputy leader of North Sumatra's development agency until 1980.<ref name="ugm"/> He then moved to West Sumatra, becoming the provincial secretary in 1981 to replace {{ill|Mahyudin Algamar|id}}.<ref>{{cite book |title=Mimbar |date=1981 |publisher=Departemen Dalam Negeri |page=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsMBtKkOK28C&dq=sjoerkani+sekwilda&pg=PA17 |language=id}}</ref> He would serve until 1987, when he was elevated to vice governor, being sworn in early October 1987. The governor, Hasan Basri Durin, would be sworn in several weeks after Sjoerkani.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Durin |first1=Hasan Basri |title=Catatan seorang pamong |date=1997 |publisher=Yayasan Obor Indonesia |pages=29–31|isbn=978-979-461-285-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XM9wAAAAMAAJ&q=sjoerkani+wakil+gubernur+1987 |language=id}}</ref> He ran as a gubernatorial candidate in 1992 against Hasan's second term, but placed third in the legislature's vote with 8 votes to Hasan's 23 votes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zed |first1=Mestika |title=Sumatera Barat di panggung sejarah, 1945-1995 |date=1995 |publisher=Bidang Penerbitan Khusus, Panitia Peringatan 50 Tahun RI, Sumatera Barat |page=362 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qNZwAAAAMAAJ&q=sjoerkani+gubernur+1992 |language=id}}</ref>

He served as chairman of the Mahaputra Muhammad Yamin University's Foundation in Solok between 2001 and 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sejarah FKIP UMMY Solok |url=http://fkip.ummy.ac.id/sejarah/ |website=ummy.ac.id |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=id}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Mayors of Medan}}

Category:1931 births Category:2007 deaths Category:20th-century mayors of places in Indonesia Category:People from Solok Category:Indonesian civil servants Category:Mayors of Medan Category:Vice governors of West Sumatra Category:Gadjah Mada University alumni Category:Minangkabau people Category:Year of death uncertain