President Susilo proving a stickler for punctuality<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Punctuality is one thing that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nhas enforced during his first month in office, unlike his
\npredecessors.<\/p>\n
After having a career in the military, Susilo is demanding
\nthat Cabinet members, presidential staff and even journalists
\ncovering his activities be punctual.<\/p>\n
The swearing-in of Cabinet members at the State Palace on Oct.
\n21 demonstrated Susilo's discipline when it comes to time when a
\nnumber of House of Representatives legislators were denied entry
\nto the venue only because they arrived a few minutes late.<\/p>\n
In the second week as President, Cabinet ministers had their
\nturn. Susilo chastised five ministers when they arrived late for
\na Cabinet meeting at his office.<\/p>\n
During a plenary Cabinet meeting on Nov. 8, Susilo told the
\nministers that he expected them to be punctual, and asserted that
\nthey should have taken into account the amount of time it would
\ntake to reach the palace.<\/p>\n
\"If you arrive late on two more occasions, don't bother coming
\nto any more Cabinet meetings,\" the President greeted the
\nunpunctual ministers when they entered the meeting room.<\/p>\n
A protocol staff member told The Jakarta Post last week that
\nthe ministers, who hold economic portfolios, told the President
\nthat traffic congestion had prevented them from arriving on time.<\/p>\n
Two Cabinet members dealing with security affairs missed the
\ncommemoration of Heroes Day at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Nov.
\n11, which was presided over by Susilo.<\/p>\n
The incident would have gone unnoticed had TV reporters not
\nbeen stopped from covering the event by presidential guards
\nbecause they had arrived two minutes late.<\/p>\n
One of the reporters tried to offer an excuse, but to no
\navail.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot let you in, even generals are outside as they also
\ncame late,\" a presidential guard told the woman journalist.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said punctuality was
\none of the President's concerns, not because he had a military
\nbackground but because he expected everybody to appreciate the
\nvalue of time.<\/p>\n
\"He can't tolerate people who are late, for whatever reason,\"
\nAndi said. He added that the Susilo's punctuality policy also
\napplied to journalists, even though they do not work for the
\nPresident and are not subject to his appraisal.<\/p>\n
However, the President's zero tolerance for unpunctuality does
\nnot necessarily always apply to him.<\/p>\n
Susilo was late on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. scheduled speech to
\npresent his one-month progress report. The speech, which
\ncommenced at 8:40 p.m., was broadcast live by some television and
\nradio stations.<\/p>\n
The morning after, his speech to announce the extension of the
\nstate of civil emergency in Aceh was postponed for 20 minutes due
\nto his late arrival.<\/p>\n
\"I am sorry, I am not getting enough sleep,\" the President
\nsaid before beginning his speech.<\/p>\n
\"Neither are we, sir,\" a choir of journalists answered back.<\/p>\n
While waiting anxiously for the speech, one of the journalists
\ncracked a joke: \"We should have locked him out, just as he does
\nto other people.\"<\/p>",
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