Najmul Akhyar

Najmul Akhyar (born 14 June 1972) is an Indonesian politician of the Perindo Party and lawyer who is the regent of North Lombok Regency, serving since February 2025 after previously serving a term between 2016 and 2021. His first term saw the 2018 Lombok earthquakes devastate the regency. He had previously been vice-regent in 2010–2015, and before that a municipal legislator in West Lombok Regency in 1999–2009, during which he was part of a committee for North Lombok's secession.

Early life Najmul Akhyar was born on 14 June 1972 in the village of Menggala, in Pemenang district of West Lombok Regency (today in North Lombok). He was the third of six children between Fuad Muhtar and Asiah. Fuad was a local religious leader and a member of West Lombok's Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). Najmul completed elementary school at Menggala in 1985, before completing middle school and high school in East Lombok. He then studied law at the University of Mataram, graduating in 1997. He later also received a master's degree at Udayana University in 2004 and a doctorate from Brawijaya University in 2014. During his time as vice-regent, he moved to the Prosperous Justice Party, and later to Demokrat.

During his tenure, a series of earthquakes struck North Lombok, killing hundreds of people, and causing widespread damage with tens of thousand of houses damaged and over 100,000 people displaced. In statements to media, Najmul estimated that 80 per cent of the regency was damaged and requested heavy equipment support to rescue trapped survivors in collapsed mosques. During the following months, thousands of displaced residents of North Lombok protested over perceived slowness in reconstruction and the indirect aid mechanism passing through community groups. Speaking with protestors, Najmul stated that the community groups were a requirement by central government agencies distributing the funds. As his office was damaged by the earthquake, Najmul set up an office in a converted shipping container for a time after the earthquake. One year after the earthquake, Najmul stated that 40 per cent of classrooms were still damaged and 55 thousand out of 75 thousand damaged homes had not been repaired.

Najmul faced Djohan Sjamsu again in the 2020 regency election, and was defeated, with Djohan winning 83,659 votes (56.1%) to Najmul's 65,378 (43.9%). Najmul moved to the Perindo Party in 2022. He ran again in the 2024 regency election with Djohan Sjamsu's son Kusmalahadi Syamsuri as running mate, and the pair won the three-way election with 67,323 votes (45.2%). He was sworn in for his second term on 20 February 2025.

Personal life He is married to Rohani, who in the 2024 legislative election was elected as a Perindo member to the West Nusa Tenggara Regional House of Representatives.