Ani Yudhoyono

Kristiani Herrawati Yudhoyono[1] (6 July 1952 – 1 June 2019), also known as Ani Yudhoyono,[2] was an Indonesian political scientist. She was the wife of former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady of Indonesia from 2004 until 2014.[1][2]

Ani Yudhoyono
6th First Lady of Indonesia
In role 20 October 2004 – 20 October 2014
President	Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Preceded by	Taufiq Kiemas (as First Gentleman)
Succeeded by	Iriana
Personal details
Born	Kristiani Herrawati 6 July 1952 Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Died	1 June 2019 (aged 66) Kent Ridge, Singapore
Resting place	Kalibata Heroes Cemetery
Spouse(s)	Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ​ ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono
Mother	Sunarti Sri Hadiyah
Father	Sarwo Edhie Wibowo
Relatives	Pramono Edhie Wibowo (brother) (deceased)
Education	Indonesia Open University

Family and education

Kristiani Herrawati was born on 6 July 1952 in Yogyakarta, to Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sarwo Edhie Wibowo and Sunarti Sri Hadiyah. She was the third child of seven siblings.[3]

In 1973, she became a medical student at the Christian University of Indonesia, but in the third year she followed her father who was appointed as an ambassador to South Korea. She subsequently married Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) in 1976.[4] Ani later continued studying at Terbuka University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1998.[5]

Career

Yudhoyono's political activities included her appointment as vice chairman of the Democratic Party. She campaigned for the successful election of her husband for President of the Republic of Indonesia in 2004. Prior to this, she was active in various women's social organizations during SBY's term as minister under Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri.[6]

Following her husband's election to the presidency, she organised polio immunisation campaigns[7] and Mobil Pintar (Smart Cars), where vans are filled with books for children to read.[8] In 2013, it surfaced that Australian intelligence had been tapping her mobile phone as part of a row between Indonesia and Australia.[9] Also in December that year, she was mentioned in a WikiLeaks diplomatic cable, which accused her of actively influencing her husband on political affairs.[10]

In 2007, a rare Papuan butterfly species was named after her. She was presented with a specimen of the butterfly Delias kristianiae which she donated to a museum.[11]

Personal life

Yudhoyono was a gardening enthusiast with a particular fondness for orchids,[6] and as part of diplomatic tradition, an orchid variety in Singapore is named after her.[12] On her 61st birthday, she launched two books on the botanic collection at the Cipanas Palace and multiple Indonesian Botanical Gardens, in which some of her photographs were included.[13]

Yudhoyono was an avid photographer. Her photography works had made her into a popular, and unlikely, Instagram star for Indonesians. She had attracted more than 6.4 million Instagram followers at the time of her death in June 2019.[1]

Death

Yudhoyono died of leukemia on the morning of 1 June 2019, after undergoing treatment for nearly four months in the National University Hospital, Singapore. She was 66 years old.[14][15]

Her remains were flown from Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore to Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, East Jakarta on the same evening.[1] Funeral prayers were held at her private home in Cikeas, West Java, the following day, before burial at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta that afternoon.[1]

References

1. "Former First Lady Ani Yudhoyono Passes Away After Long Battle With Cancer". Jakarta Globe. 1 June 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
2. Suhartono, Harry (1 June 2019). "Kristiani Yudhoyono, Indonesia's Former First Lady, Dies at 67". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
3. Garda Maeswara (2009). Biografi politik Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (in Indonesian). Penerbit Narasi. p. 205. ISBN 9789791681759.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
4. Soempeno, Femi Adi (2009). Indonesia memilih (in Indonesian). Galangpress Group. p. 137, 150. ISBN 9786028174244.
5. Mediatama, Grahanusa (1 December 2013). "Kisah SBY dan Ani saat menjalin cinta jarak jauh". Kontan (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 June 2019.
6. Maeswara, Garda (2010). Cikeas menjawab: tentang yayasan-yayasan Cikeas, tim sukses SBY-Boediono, dan skandal Bank Century (in Indonesian). Penerbit Narasi. p. 60-61. ISBN 9789791682060.
7. "Ibu Negara Beri Vaksin Polio Pertama". Tempo (in Indonesian). 28 June 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
8. "Ibu Ani Yudhoyono Meluncurkan Mobil Pintar". liputan6,com (in Indonesian). 18 May 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
9. Wright, Jessica (21 November 2013). "Phone tapping SBY's wife 'the last straw'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
10. "Kali Ini Wikileaks Sentil Ibu Ani Yudhoyono". Suara Pembaruan (in Indonesian). 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
11. Rare butterfly species named after Indonesian first lady. The Daily Star. 14 November 2007
12. Syafirdi, Didi (29 July 2015). "Selain anggrek Ani Yudhoyono, kini ada anggrek Iriana di Singapura". Merdeka (in Indonesian). Retrieved 1 June 2019.
13. "Ultah ke-61, Ani Yudhoyono Luncurkan 2 Buku Tanaman" (in Indonesian). LIPI. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
14. Dyaning Pangestika (1 June 2019). "Former first lady Ani Yudhoyono passes away at 67". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
15. "Passing of Former Indonesian First Lady Ani Yudhoyono". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.