On the Selves
SBY, Sang Democrat (SBY, a Democrat)
By Usamah Hisyam, et al
Dharmapena Publishing,
Jakarta, March 2004
xx + 1,003 pp
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the man who would be king, or at least president, of this nation. Popularly known simply as SBY, the fatherly figure is ahead in the polls as the people's choice for the presidential elections in July; this biography, written in friendly hands, is designed to put him in his best light.
He was born in 1949 in Pacitan, a small town in Central Java. His father, Soekotjo, was a low-ranking military officer while his mother, Siti Habibah, is a housewife. In Javanese the words "susilo", "bambang" and "yudhoyono" respectively mean "over", "loyalty" and "war victory", and Soekotjo hoped that his son would be "someone who is loyal and can win every battle".
An only child, SBY joined the military academy in Magelang, Central Java, after completing high school and graduated top of his class in 1973. Much earlier than his peers, he was named a company commander. Later he was the best graduate from the staff and command college, and quickly rose through the ranks to positions of responsibility.
Although some of his peers have reportedly dismissed him as an "AC general" because he did not make his mark on the battlefield, others have lauded his talent and personality. "Yudhoyono's progress is attributed to his own capability, not because of other people," said Gen. Feisal Tanjung.
His first military assignment was in East Timor. He became known for his wise attitude in facing the guerrillas but preventing abuse by his men. SBY spent many months in East Timor, engaging himself both in the battlefield and in high-level diplomacy.
Also detailed in this biography is his relationship with other generals during the difficult days of the May 1998 riots, his serving in the Cabinets of both Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri and his close relationship with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan from his East Timor days.
On Sept. 9, 2001, he inaugurated the establishment of the Democratic Party. The party, with its declaration of a new vision for Indonesia, has struck a chord with Indonesians disappointed with the same old offerings from the same old politicians.
Usamah Hisyam, a former journalist of Matra and Media Indonesia and the biographer of Feisal Tanjung and Admiral Widodo AS, also served as a member of the House of Representatives from the United Development Party (PPP). He was close to SBY when the latter was assistant in charge of social and political affairs to the chief-of-staff of the Army for social and political affairs.
The book provides a lot of information about SBY but, unfortunately and inevitably, lacks independence. It will please his followers but it does not go far enough in exploring the vision of statesmanship of the man, for a future leader must have a good comprehension of the nation, not just its territorial matters.
-- Basilius Triharyanto