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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), former president of Indonesia. Photo By Marcello Casal –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono     

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, mostly referred to by his initials SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014. 

Yudhoyono won the 2004 presidential election defeating incumbent president Megawati Sukarnoputri. It was the first direct presidential election in Indonesia. He was sworn into office on 20 October 2004, together with Jusuf Kalla as the vice president. 

He ran for re-election in 2009 with Boediono as his running-mate and won with an outright majority of the votes in the first round of balloting; he was sworn in for a second term on 20 October 2009.   

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). 

1. His Name is of Javanese Origin and Has a Meaning 

The name Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is of Javanese origins, with Sanskrit roots. His first name Susilo comes from the words su-, meaning good, and -sila, meaning behavior, conduct, or moral.    

The second name, Bambang, is a traditional male name in Javanese, meaning knight. The third name, Yudhoyono, comes from the words yuddha -meaning battle or fight, and yana, meaning journey.  

Thus SBY鈥檚 full name translates to “a well-behaved knight on a war mission”.   

2. SBY鈥檚 Father Was a Military Officer 

SBY Photo By Govt. of Indonesia –

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was born on 9th September 1949, on Indonesia’s largest and most populous island,  Tremas, a village in Arjosari – Pacitan Regency, East Java.  

His parents, Raden Soekotjo and Siti Habibah, were Javanese. Theirs was a lower-middle-class family, given that his father was working in the Indonesian army. Raden had gotten to the rank of lieutenant before his retirement. 

3. He Was Talented In Music and Sports 

When SBY was in school, he took his studies seriously. He was an academic achiever and did exceptionally well in class. He had an interest in writing poems, short stories, and acting in plays and he excelled in these areas as well. 

Additionally, SBY also had talents in music and sports. He and his friends are remembered for forming a volleyball club called Klub Rajawali and a music band called Gaya Teruna. 

4. His Childhood Dream Was To Join The Army 

SBY had always wanted to join the army since he was a child, perhaps inspired by his own father’s career. When he was in fifth grade, he visited the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy (AKABRI).  

After seeing the soldiers training, he was even more determined to join the Indonesian Armed Forces and become a soldier. He planned to join soon after graduating from high school but sadly he missed the registration period in 1968. 

He enrolled to study Mechanical Engineering at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Surabaya then proceeded to the Vocational Education Development Center in Malang, East Java.   

Two years later, in 1970, he successfully joined the country’s national military academy. SBY spent the next three years at AKABRI, and gave it his best shot, even becoming commander of the Cadet Corps Division. 

He graduated from AKABRI as a second lieutenant in 1973. He was a top performer throughout his training, and he was the best graduate that year. 

5. He went to The United States to Further His Studies 

Former US President Barack Obama and Former Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Photo By The White House –

SBY went to the United States while he was still in the military, in between deployments. He earned a master’s degree in management from Webster University in St. Louis in 1981. 

He also completed military training programs at Fort Benning, Georgia (1976 and 1982), and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (in 1991). 

SBY is a fluent English speaker, and he considers the U.S as his second home. 

6. He Retired From the Military and Joined the Government 

SBY joined the government of President Abdurrahman Wahid in 2000, at which time he retired from active military service. His first position was that of minister of mines, but he was soon installed as minister of security and political affairs.  

In 2001, he was fired by Wahid, who was facing impeachment proceedings and wanted Yudhoyono to declare a state of emergency. Yudhoyono refused, laying the foundation for his later national reputation as a figure not beholden to the country’s power structure. 

He was rehired the following year by the country’s new president, Megawati Sukarnoputri. They would later fall out and SBY ran against her and won.

7. SBY is a Family Man 

SBY’s Family Portrait. Photo By National Library of Indonesia –

SBY got married to Kristiani Herrawati Yudhoyono (Ani) in 1976. First Lady Ani Yudhoyono had a political science degree from Merdeka University and was the first vice-chairman of her husband’s Democratic Party. 

Together, the couple has two sons. Their firstborn is Major Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono who was born in 1978, while the second born is Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono who was born in 1980.  

SBY has four grandchildren. He remained married to his wife, Ani, until her death on 1st June 2019. 

8. SBY Was The First President To Be Directly Elected By The People 

The first direct presidential election was held in 2004 as a series of general elections. The presidential election took place in two rounds.  

In the second round of the presidential election, SBY accompanied by Jusuf Kala managed to win the presidential election over his rival Megawati-Hasyim with 60.9% of the vote.  

In this way, SBY became the first president who was directly elected by the people. 

9. SBY Is a Musician 

SBY. Photo By World Economic Forum –

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a musician and in his younger days was part of a band called Gaya Teruna. In the 2000s, he has come back to his early love of music by authoring and co-authoring three pop albums.  

SBY launched 4 albums while he was president. The albums consist of songs that he composed and sang. The first album was titled ‘Rinduku Padamu’ (My Longing for You), which was released in 2006.  

The second was ‘Majulah Negeriku’ (Forward, My Country) back in 2007, the third was ‘Ku Yakin Sampai Di Sana’ (I’m Certain I’ll Make It) in 2010, followed by ‘Harmoni’ (Harmony) in 2011. 

10. He Was Knighted by The Queen 

In 2012, SBY received an award from the late Queen Elizabeth II. The name of the award is 鈥淜night Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath鈥�. It is the highest of the three classes of Order Bath. 

This award has previously been given to foreign leaders like Jacques Chirac the former President of France, Ronald Reagan former President of the United States, and Abdullah Gul the former President of Turkey.