President Susilo proving a stickler for punctuality

President Susilo proving a stickler for punctuality

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Punctuality is one thing that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
has enforced during his first month in office, unlike his
predecessors.

After having a career in the military, Susilo is demanding
that Cabinet members, presidential staff and even journalists
covering his activities be punctual.

The swearing-in of Cabinet members at the State Palace on Oct.
21 demonstrated Susilo's discipline when it comes to time when a
number of House of Representatives legislators were denied entry
to the venue only because they arrived a few minutes late.

In the second week as President, Cabinet ministers had their
turn. Susilo chastised five ministers when they arrived late for
a Cabinet meeting at his office.

During a plenary Cabinet meeting on Nov. 8, Susilo told the
ministers that he expected them to be punctual, and asserted that
they should have taken into account the amount of time it would
take to reach the palace.

"If you arrive late on two more occasions, don't bother coming
to any more Cabinet meetings," the President greeted the
unpunctual ministers when they entered the meeting room.

A protocol staff member told The Jakarta Post last week that
the ministers, who hold economic portfolios, told the President
that traffic congestion had prevented them from arriving on time.

Two Cabinet members dealing with security affairs missed the
commemoration of Heroes Day at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Nov.
11, which was presided over by Susilo.

The incident would have gone unnoticed had TV reporters not
been stopped from covering the event by presidential guards
because they had arrived two minutes late.

One of the reporters tried to offer an excuse, but to no
avail.

"We cannot let you in, even generals are outside as they also
came late," a presidential guard told the woman journalist.

Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said punctuality was
one of the President's concerns, not because he had a military
background but because he expected everybody to appreciate the
value of time.

"He can't tolerate people who are late, for whatever reason,"
Andi said. He added that the Susilo's punctuality policy also
applied to journalists, even though they do not work for the
President and are not subject to his appraisal.

However, the President's zero tolerance for unpunctuality does
not necessarily always apply to him.

Susilo was late on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. scheduled speech to
present his one-month progress report. The speech, which
commenced at 8:40 p.m., was broadcast live by some television and
radio stations.

The morning after, his speech to announce the extension of the
state of civil emergency in Aceh was postponed for 20 minutes due
to his late arrival.

"I am sorry, I am not getting enough sleep," the President
said before beginning his speech.

"Neither are we, sir," a choir of journalists answered back.

While waiting anxiously for the speech, one of the journalists
cracked a joke: "We should have locked him out, just as he does
to other people."