Pak Harto was a hard-working, very disciplined, punctual, and meticulous person. I had the privilege to witness his daily life. He woke up very early in the morning and arrived at his office at 08:00 am sharp. At 01:00 pm, he would be at home for lunch. In the afternoon, he would play golf three times a week. While at 19:00 from Monday to Friday, he would receive guests. He would have dinner at 21:00. Then at 21:35, after the news broadcast Dunia Dalam Berita (World News) on TVRI was finished, he entered his study. His study was very small. The table was also very small. Indeed, if we compare it to the houses today, even my own house, his house was relatively smaller. The bedroom was not en suite. That was why his study was very small. Every night, there would be a pile of folders on his desk that could reach 40-50 centimetres in height. I heard from his aides that there were at least 40 folders and letters that he read and signed every night from Sunday to Friday. Only on Saturday nights would one not find him by his desk. I often saw him working through 01:00 or even 02:00 in the morning. Meanwhile, he would wake up at 04:30 in the morning or 05:00 at the latest. Sometimes he only got 3-4 hours of sleep. This went on for decades. We can only imagine how hardworking and meticulous he was. His other distinctive quality was his neat handwriting and photographic memory. He was also very good with numbers. In 1985, when I had just been appointed Commander of the 328 Airborne Infantry Battalion/KOSTRAD, I went to see him. He then recounted to me at great length and in great detail his experience in forming, recruiting, training, and building a combat battalion. He recounted his experiences as a Squad Leader, Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer and many more. He shared many practical techniques and practices and granular matters. He could even remember the educational level of each of his erstwhile subordinates. I was astonished to listen to him. At that time, it would have been 17 years since he left the Army and 35 years after his duties in the War on Independence. We can only imagine how a President, Head of State, Head of Government who controlled national development agenda ranging from pesticide, fertilisers, seeds, irrigation, aircraft factories, railway factories to foreign political issues, and who had not commanded his battalions for decades, could still vividly remember the formation, recruitment and training of army units at the squad, platoon, company and battalion level. I applied the lessons that he shared with me when I was the Commander of the 328 Battalion. That has made the 328 Battalion very reliable and recognised by many as one of the sharpest battalions over the many-many years. Also characteristic of him was that he deeply understood Javanese philosophy and the history of the archipelago. Pak Harto widely articulated his leadership with ancient teachings and Javanese philosophy. This is understandable because all his education took place in Indonesia, in his hometown of Kemusuk village in Yogyakarta. Most of his readings were from Javanese scholars from the past centuries. The philosophy that he most often taught was ojo dumeh, ojo lali, ojo ngoyo, ojo adigang, adigung, adiguna; in addition to ojo kagetan, ojo gumunan, and sing becik ketitik sing olo ketoro. The book that he published, Butir-Butir Budaya Jawa (Javanese Cultural Maxim), is very useful. It is a compilation of maxims, teachings and adages. His book is very important to understand the Indonesian psyche and understand the Indonesian cultural background because, of course, Javanese culture greatly influenced the Indonesian outlook. These teachings are not mere slogans. For many they became a guide to successful living, a guide to a happy existence in this life. It was also a very practical guide, and actually, in my opinion, they became the voice of wisdom carried through the ages. Therefore, one who follows the teachings makes use of the wisdom of our predecessors, of our ancestors and our elders. I would like to recount one occasion when the 328 Battalion I led was ordered to carry out operations in East Timor. One night before leaving, I was summoned by Pak Harto to his residence in Jalan Cendana. I told my subordinates that Pak Harto called me. They were happy. It had become a tradition that when the Commander-in-Chief summoned someone before they carried out missions, Pak Harto would provide them with sangu or special financial assistance. These funds could be used to beef up the logistics, thus reducing the burden of the commanders. I arrived at Cendana before 8:30 p.m. After receiving a guest, he met me and asked whether it was true that I would carry out an operation the next day. I gave an affirmative answer. Then he told me, ‘I only have three pieces of advice for you, Bowo. Ojo lali, ojo dumeh, ojo ngoyo. Keep it close to your heart!” After I stated that I was ready, Pak Harto gently clasped his hands on my head as a gesture of blessing, as he always did to his children, grandchildren and loved ones, and allowed me to leave. After returning to the battalion in Cilodong, all the officers were waiting in the operations room, what we called the Yudha room, the War room. They were waiting for good news from Pak Harto’s residence. I conveyed to them that I only met Pak Harto for five minutes. In the short meeting, Pak Harto left three messages: Ojo lali, ojo dumeh, ojo ngoyo. I also told them that, for a short while, I was also surprised and a bit disappointed. Because instead of receiving funds, I was only given three pieces of advice. However, during the hour-long journey back from Cendana to Cilodong, I pondered about the three pieces of advice given by a Commander who grew up in combat operations. Pak Harto was the initiator and executor of the General Offensive of March 1 that managed to take back control of Yogyakarta for six hours at the end of 1948. In fact, at that time, the Dutch military was very strong in Central Java. He was also involved in various suppression operations in Sulawesi, such as the Andi Azis rebellion. He also led the West Irian liberation as the Commander-in-Chief of Mandala Operations. He was also a key figure in putting down the G30S/PKI communist rebellion in 1965. As a Commander-in-Chief with extensive combat experience, Pak Harto’s advice naturally must have a very deep meaning. First,…
