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."