Former Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah Passes Away

Former Aceh Governor for the 2012-2017 period, Dr Zaini Abdullah, also known as Abu Doto, passed away at the Zainoel Abidin Regional General Hospital (RSUDZA) in Banda Aceh on Saturday at approximately 12.24 p.m. Western Indonesia Time. His assistant, Muzakir Abdul Hamid, confirmed that the former number one official in Aceh had died. “Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, Dr Zaini Abdullah has passed away in ICU 2 at around 12.24 p.m. WIB,” said Muzakir Abdul Hamid. Abu Doto breathed his last at the age of 86 in ICU 2 of RSUDZA Banda Aceh, where he had been receiving treatment at the Aceh government hospital since 4 June 2026. Muzakir explained that although he had undergone outpatient care in recent times, Abu Doto’s condition deteriorated until he was brought back to the hospital in the early hours of the morning, around 2.30 a.m. WIB. “Indeed, he was elderly and had several comorbid illnesses,” he said. Abu Doto’s remains are planned to be buried in his hometown of Beureunuen, Pidie Regency, Aceh, following funeral prayers at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh. Zaini Abdullah was born in Sigli, Aceh, on 24 April 1940. He attended a people’s school equivalent to primary school in Pidie, junior high school in Sigli, and senior high school in Banda Aceh, graduating at the age of 20. He then continued his education at the Faculty of Medicine, University of North Sumatra (USU), later becoming a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at USU Medan. He subsequently pursued specialist education as a ‘Family Doctor’ at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge in Stockholm, Sweden. Abu Doto later joined the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and was entrusted as GAM’s Minister of Health. He was among the GAM leaders who became members of the GAM Delegation in 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 parties, Zaini joined the Aceh Party. He then ran for office and won the 2012 regional election as Governor of Aceh alongside his then-deputy Muzakir Manaf, also known as Mualem, who is the current Governor of Aceh.