Throughout Indonesian history, the title of First Lady (, ) or, in an instance, First Gentleman (, ) has been used to refer to the wife or husband of the president of Indonesia. The constitution does not provide for the position in any sense, but it continues to influence Indonesian society significantly, usually in social affairs.
Taufiq Kiemas, husband of President Megawati Sukarnoputri, remains the only first gentleman to date.Sepeninggal Taufiq Kiemas ("After Taufiq Kiemas"), tokohindonesia.com, 19 June 2013. Accessed 1 June 2019.
The current President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, is separated from his wife, Titiek Suharto. Thus, the First Lady's seat is vacant for his presidency. In Prabowo's presidency, most of the functions of the First Lady on social affairs are assumed by the current Second Lady, Selvi Ananda.
History It is unclear when the role of Ibu Negara first developed in the Indonesian political convention. Sukarno, the first president, was married to his third wife, Fatmawati, when he became president in August 1945. Sukarno then married Hartini in July 1953 with Fatmawati's permission. Hartini lived in Istana Bogor and accompanied the president to official state duties and visits abroad.Sitompul, Martin. Hartini, First Lady yang Tak Diakui ("Hartini, the Unrecognized First Lady"). Historia.id, 20 April 2018. Accessed 1 June 2019. During his presidency, Sukarno married another five women, but Fatmawati remained the first lady for the remainder of Sukarno's presidency.
Siti Hartinah, Suharto's wife, occupied the role of Ibu Negara until her death in April 1996. Their eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana (Tutut), adopted her mother's responsibilities throughout her father's presidency until 1998. From March to May 1998, she also served as minister of social affairs.
Prabowo Subianto, who was elected president in 2024, is the first Indonesian president to begin their tenure without a first spouse. He married Suharto's daughter, Siti Hediati Hariyadi (Titiek), in 1983, but they separated shortly after Suharto fell from power in 1998. However, Titiek was active in Prabowo's 2014, 2019, and 2024 presidential campaigns.
List No.PortraitNameTenureAge at tenure startPresident1Fatmawati18 August 1945–12 March 1967Sukarno2Siti Hartinah12 March 1967–28 April 1996 †Suharto3Hasri Ainun Besari21 May 1998–20 October 1999Habibie4Sinta Nuriyah20 October 1999–23 July 2001Wahid5Taufiq Kiemas23 July 2001–20 October 2004Megawati6Kristiani Herrawati20 October 2004–20 October 2014Yudhoyono7Iriana20 October 2014–20 October 2024Jokowi8Vacant20 October 2024–presentVacantPrabowo
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See also List of presidents of Indonesia Second ladies and gentlemen of Indonesia List of vice presidents of Indonesia Prime Minister of Indonesia