W

ho could be luckier than Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono? After recently securing a second five-year term in a landslide election victory, the President turned 60 on a "lucky" date, Sept. 9, 2009 (9-9-9).

Yudhoyono was born in Pacitan, East Java, on Sept. 9, 1949, another "lucky" three nines.

Indeed, his wife First Lady Ani Yudhoyono said during the tumpengan (Javanese tradition of serving people with cone-shaped rice with various side dishes) party to mark his birthday Wednesday evening that the family had hoped the party could be held at 9:09:09 a.m. in order to amplify the special air of the event.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether or not Ani was serious, she explained that the family could not do so because it was a fasting day.

Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said before the party that it would be only a small event for family and friends.

The "small" party that coincided with the Ramadan fast-breaking time, however, appeared to be an event drawing more than 200 guests, including Cabinet ministers and heads of various state institutions, as well as Vice President-elect Boediono.

Yudhoyono's mother Habibah Sukotjo and mother-in-law Sunarti Sarwo Edhie Wibowo were also in attendance, although neither of his two sons were present.

Ani explained, in her special address to her husband, that the eldest son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, was studying at Harvard University and that the youngest son, Eddhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, was performing a "special duty" his father had given him. Ani stopped short of specifying the duty.

Yudhoyono also had to celebrate the birthday without his only granddaughter, Almira Tunggadewi Yudhoyono, the daughter of Agus and daughter-in-law Annisa Pohan.

"On behalf of the children, I say happy birthday. Hopefully Bapak *Yudhoyono* will be given health, physical and inner strength, determination and patience in running his life, particularly in the next five years; as Bapak has received the mandate from the people to again lead Indonesia," Ani said before the guests, with Yudhoyono standing smiling at her side.

Ani's "special gift" for Yudhoyono was a message of wisdom, in which she asked the President to keep becoming what she referred as "AKA", an acronym for Indonesian words air (water), kompas (compass) and api (fire).

"Keep becoming water, so that you can bring freshness to Indonesia.

"Hope that you can remain a compass, so that you can guide us, your family and all Indonesians.

". And keep becoming fire, spreading energy to all of us so that we have the spirit to build the nation."

Yudhoyono made no remarks during the birthday celebration, but he was seemingly in a good mood as he smiled a lot and joked with several guests.

Andi said the President had received thousands of SMS congratulating him and wishing him nice things. Vice President Jusuf Kalla congratulated him earlier in the day.