Â鶹APP

President Megawati Sukarnoputri by National Information Agency from

Top 8 Sensational Facts about Megawati Sukarnoputri

Born on January 23, 1947, Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri is an Indonesian politician who presided as the country’s fifth president from 2001 to 2004. Prior to this, she held the position of eighth vice president from 1999 to 2001. The sixth woman to head a nation with a majority of Muslims, Megawati is the first female president of Indonesia.

Additionally, she was born after Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, making her the country’s first president and, as of 2021, the only vice president to have done so. Megawati succeeded Abdurrahman Wahid as president in 2001 after serving as Wahid’s vice president.

Here are 8 facts you should know about her.

1. Sukarnoputri means “daughter of Sukarno” 

Javanese people don’t have family names, therefore Sukarnoputri simply means “daughter of Sukarno” in Sanskrit. She is simply referred to as “Megawati” (or “Mega”). This name is derived from the Sanskrit word meghavat, which means “she who possesses a cloud,” such as a raincloud since it was raining when she was born. She was given her name at Sukarno’s request by prominent Indian statesman Biju Patnaik.

2. Her term in office saw no scandals 

Megawati Soekarnoputri by Biro Humas MPR from

After years of dictatorial control under Suharto, she maintained the process of democratisation while serving as president, although she has come under fire for being too quiet and preferring to portray herself as the embodiment of national unity.

Direct presidential elections are now possible thanks to changes to the constitution. She demonstrated that a Muslim woman could lead a Muslim state and function well in this position, from which the previous, male occupant had been removed (accurately or incorrectly) for incompetence. During her period in office, there were no scandals or claims of misgovernance.

3. Megawati grew up in luxury

Presiden Sukarno by Onbekend from

President Sukarno and Fatmawati, one of Sukarno’s nine wives, welcomed Megawati into the world on January 23, 1947, in Yogyakarta. Sukarno proclaimed Indonesia’s independence from the Netherlands in 1945.

Secondborn and first daughter, Megawati was Sukarno’s. Megawati spent her formative years in the lavish Merdeka Palace owned by her father. She started taking up gardening as a passion and would dance for her father’s guests.

4. Megawati went to Padjadjaran University in Bandung

University of Padjadjaran by Albertus Aditya from Wikimedia Commons

Megawati enrolled in Padjadjaran University in Bandung to study agriculture, but she left in 1967 to stay with her father after he lost his position of authority. At the age of 19, Megawati saw the toppling of her father and the installation of a Suharto-led military regime. As long as they stayed out of politics, Sukarno’s family was ignored by the new administration.

5. She dropped out of the University of Indonesia 

Megawati enrolled at the University of Indonesia in 1970, the year her father passed away, with the intention of studying psychology, but she left after two years due to interference from the Suharto dictatorship.

Megawati had little familiarity with the outside world, and not even her staunchest supporters would describe her as intelligent. She is a devout Muslim who also holds to traditional Javanese beliefs and places a lot of trust in astrology.

6. She’s been married three times

Megawati Taufik by Unknown author from

In 1970, a plane disaster in Irian Jaya claimed the life of Megawati’s first spouse, First Lieutenant Surindo Supjarso. She wed Hassan Gamal Ahmad Hasan, an Egyptian ambassador, in 1972.

A short while afterwards, the marriage was dissolved. In 1973, she wed her current spouse, Taufiq Kiemas. M was one of their three kids. Currently in their 30s are Puan Maharani, M. Pranada Prabowo, and Rizki Pramata.

7. In 1987 she would join the People’s Representative Council (DPR) membership

Megawati had considered herself to be a housewife, but in 1987, she would join PDI and run for a position in the People’s Representative Council (DPR). To improve their own reputation and embrace Megawati, PDI was only too eager.

Due to her popularity and the fact that she was Sukarno’s daughter, Megawati’s obvious lack of oratory skills was swiftly overlooked. Despite PDI finishing last in the 1987 legislative elections, Megawati was nonetheless chosen to serve as DPR. She also joined the People’s Consultative Assembly in addition (MPR).

 8. Megawati defeated Hamzah and became Vice-President 

President of Indonesia by The U.S. National Archives from

In the end, Megawati won the vice presidential election by 396 votes to 284 for Hamzah. Because she held a majority of the DPR seats, Megawati had a lot of power as vice president.

She was given the duty of resolving the issues in Ambon by Wahid, but she was unsuccessful. When the MPR Annual Session met in August 2000, many people thought Wahid was unsuccessful as President or at the very least as an administrator. In response, Wahid issued a Presidential Decree transferring day-to-day government management to Megawati.

Under her tenure, Indonesia’s government was still marred by corruption, but to her credit, no charges have been brought against her.