Chinese Indonesian Women in Local Politics: The Political Rise of Tjhai Chui Mie in Singkawang

This paper analyzes the rise of Tjhai Chui Mie (TCM) as the first Chinese Indonesian woman elected as a political leader in Indonesian history. TCM won a direct local election in February 2017 and become the Mayor of Singkawang (2017–2022). Employing a qualitative research utilizing a feminist research methodology, this paper reveals complex interactions between ethnicity, politics, and gender. It strengthens the findings of previous scholarly works that highlighted the continuing relevance of ethnic politics or ethnic identity in contests for local executive power, especially in West Kalimantan. It shows the interplay of ethnic identity and a shift in ethnic power sharing in Singkawang, which previously occurred mainly between Dayaks and Malays, but now takes place between Chinese and Malays, which also accompanied by playing pratronage factor in it. It also sheds light on a positive gender narrative of Chinese Indonesian women in Singkawang. TCM, who has strong individual and social capital of networks, becomes a subject capable of influencing and shaping the dynamic of local politics, as compared to a dominant and negative narrative of Chinese Indonesian women in Singkawang that often associates them with the issue of mail-order brides. TCM’s case indicates that it is no longer appropriate to position Chinese Indonesian women as peripheral as they now have the same chances and potential as other Indonesian women to use ethnicity or gender to compete in local political contests. From a broader point of view, this paper contributes significantly to filling in the picture of Indonesian women’s varied experiences and roles in shaping local democracy in post-reformasi Indonesia, and promotes a non-andocentric perspective on politics. KCI Citation Count: 0