Why President Gus Dur Summoned His Economic Ministers to the Palace at 4 AM

A meeting between a president and a minister outside working hours is not unusual. However, something different occurred during the administration of Indonesia’s 4th President, Abdurrahman Wahid, affectionately known as Gus Dur. He was known to have once summoned his minister to the Palace on short notice at 4:30 AM.

This experience was lived firsthand by Rizal Ramli, who assisted Gus Dur in economic affairs as Head of Bulog, Coordinating Minister for the Economy, and Minister of Finance. Rizal admitted he initially struggled to adapt to Gus Dur’s working pattern, which often began in the early hours.

‘Frankly, sometimes I was still very sleepy because I am a night person. The type who goes to bed at 2 AM,’ Rizal Ramli told Tjipta Lesmana, author of the book ‘From Soekarno to SBY: Political Intrigue and Lobbying of the Rulers’ (2012).

According to Rizal, however, there was a reason behind the habit. The early morning was actually the best time for Gus Dur to work and make decisions. On that basis, meetings between the president and his ministers at the Palace were often held very early in the morning. During those hours, Gus Dur was said to be in his prime condition, allowing him to give directions quickly.

Conversely, after 10 AM, Gus Dur’s stamina usually began to decline, making him more prone to drowsiness. His condition would only become fresh again from midday to evening, and he could even keep working until around 1 AM.

According to political observer Tjipta Lesmana, this working pattern explains why the 4th President was seen falling asleep several times while attending meetings or official events during the day, especially when the discussion delved into technical matters.

‘Gus Dur would fall asleep especially quickly when the meeting touched on technical matters, particularly those accompanied by figures,’ Tjipta wrote.

Based on this working pattern and sleeping habit, the ministers of the National Unity Cabinet era eventually understood the president’s rhythm. They were no longer surprised if they were summoned to the Palace at dawn, even before sunrise.

They also understood when Gus Dur occasionally handed over the leadership of cabinet meetings to Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri when his condition became drowsy.

‘After opening the session, Gus Dur often cracked jokes, gave a sort of introduction, sometimes accompanied by outbursts of anger. After that, he handed the chairmanship of the meeting to Megawati and fell asleep,’ revealed Tjipta Lesmana.