Alfiansyah Komeng (born Alfiansyah Bustami, 25 August 1970), referred to mononymously as Komeng, is an Indonesian comedian, actor, and politician. He is a member of the Regional Representative Council, representing West Java since 2024. Komeng began to participate in comedy shows in 1989 and gained popularity as he featured in comedy shows throughout the 1990s. In the 2024 Indonesian general election, he was elected with over 5 million votes, the most for any Indonesian senatorial candidate to date.
Early life and education
Alfiansyah was born in Jakarta on 25 August 1970.[2] He studied at a state elementary school in Citeureup, Bogor, before completing his middle and high school studies in Jakarta. After graduating from high school in 1989, he enrolled at the Indonesian Banking Academy [id], but did not complete his studies. He would later obtain a bachelor's degree from the Tribuana Economic Institute in Bekasi in 2018.[3][4]
Career
Entertainment
His initial venture into entertainment began in 1989 when he became a member of the comedy group Diamor. The group often performed at churches, and prior to joining, Komeng had been assisting them with stage design decor.[5] In 1990, Alfiansyah along with Diamor featured in a TVRI comedy show as the group's first television appearance,[6] and in 1992 the group had their own show at TPI.[7][6] Alfiansyah initially went by the stage name "Simon", before adopting "Komeng".[8] Komeng later left the group and in 1996 began featuring in his own show, Spontan [id], boosting his popularity. Since 1993, he has been a radio broadcaster.[7][6] He continued to star in comedy shows, including Putri Duyung [id] (2001), Lola & Liliput [id] (2002), and Opera Van Java (2008), Komeng Acak Adul with Adul [id] (2013) and among others.[9] Komeng's first appearance in a film was in the 2008 adult comedy Anda Puas, Saya Loyo [id].[10]
He was reportedly one of the highest-paid comedians in Indonesia.[6] His catchphrase "Uhuy!", was first used when he appeared at Spontan.[11]
Politics
In the 2024 Indonesian legislative election, Komeng ran as a candidate for the Regional Representative Council from West Java. In order to improve his recognizability, he changed his legal name from Alfiansyah Bustami to Alfiansyah Komeng.[12] In an interview, he noted that he maintained his birth name Alfiansyah in his new legal name in order to place his name at the top of the alphabetically-ordered ballot.[13] His electoral portrait featured Komeng with googly eyes and an open mouth, which he intentionally selected.[14] Komeng received nearly 5.4 million votes, by a wide margin the most votes among the 54 senatorial candidates in West Java,[13][15] and the most received by any Indonesian senatorial candidate to date.[16] During a plenary vote-counting meeting at the national level, participants were recorded to quip Komeng's "uhuy!" catchphrase when Komeng's vote tally was announced.[17][18]
In an interview, Komeng stated that he intended to promote a National Comedy Day as a senator, and to promote comedy as part of Indonesian culture abroad.[19] Komeng's proposal was endorsed by fellow comedian-turned-politician Denny Cagur, who was elected into the House of Representatives.[20] Komeng was sworn into office on 1 October 2024.[21]
Personal life
Komeng married Apriliana Indra Dewi in 1999, and they had three children – triplets from in vitro fertilization born on 2 August 2006. Their sole daughter died in 2016.[7][22] He is of mixed Betawi-Sundanese descent, and is a Muslim.[23]
