Indonesia’s sixth president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his aide confirmed today.
The 72-year-old former military general will undergo treatment abroad in the near future, according to his personal assistant Ossy Dermawan in a press release today. The aide added that doctors caught SBY’s cancer in its early stages, and there’s a good degree of optimism that he could beat the disease.
“In accordance with SBY’s customs and ethics, he has called President Joko Widodo to notify his plans of traveling abroad for treatment. President Jokowi responded well, and said that one or two of his presidential medical staff will accompany [SBY] on the trip,” Ossy said.
Following his diagnosis, Ossy said SBY has been able to carry out his daily activities, including painting, writing, and exercising.
No specifics on where and when his treatment would take place have been disclosed.
SBY, who chaired the Democratic Party until 2020, became Indonesia’s first president to be elected directly by the people in 2004. He served two full presidential terms until 2014, with one of his most notable achievements being keeping Indonesia relatively secure from economic turmoil during the 2007-08 global financial crisis.
SBY lost his beloved wife Ani Yudhoyono to leukemia in 2019. Their youngest son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, now leads the Democratic Party.
