Former Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah Passes Away
Banda Aceh — The former Governor of Aceh for the 2012-2017 period, Dr Zaini Abdullah, popularly known as Abu Doto, passed away at the RSUD Zainoel Abidin in Banda Aceh on Saturday (13/06) at approximately 12:24 WIB.
Abu Doto’s assistant, Muzakir Abdul Hamid, confirmed in Banda Aceh on Saturday that the former leader of Aceh has died.
“Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, Dr Zaini Abdullah has passed away in ICU 2 at around 12:24 WIB,” said Muzakir Abdul Hamid.
Abu Doto breathed his last at the age of 86 in the ICU 2 unit of RSUDZA Banda Aceh. The deceased had been undergoing treatment at the Aceh government hospital since 4 June 2026.
Muzakir explained that although he had been receiving outpatient treatment recently, Abu Doto’s condition worsened, leading to his readmission to the hospital in the early hours of this morning, around 02:30 WIB.
“He was indeed elderly and suffered from several complications,” he added.
The body of Abu Doto is planned to be buried in his hometown in Beureunuen, Pidie Regency, Aceh, following funeral prayers at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh.
For context, Zaini Abdullah was born in Sigli, Aceh, on 24 April 1940. He attended primary school in Pidie, junior high school in Sigli, and completed high school in Banda Aceh at the age of 20.
He subsequently continued his studies at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sumatera Utara (USU), where he became a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He later pursued specialist ‘Family Doctor’ training at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden.
Later in life, Abu Doto joined the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and was entrusted as the GAM Minister of Health.
He was among the GAM leaders who served as part of the GAM delegation during the peace negotiations with the Indonesian Government in Helsinki, Finland, in 2005. This meeting resulted in the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 15 August 2005.
Following the peace agreement and the formation of local political parties, Zaini joined the Aceh Party. He subsequently ran for office and won the 2012 regional election as the Governor of Aceh, alongside his deputy at the time, Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem.