For many Indonesians, funerals have a uniting factor that inspires people to travel long distances to pay their last tribute to the deceased and console a family who has lost a loved one. This was particularly true for the funeral procession of former first lady Kristiani Herrawati, better known as Ani Yudhoyono, which brought a rare moment of reconciliation during a politically divisive election season.

Former and current government officials, as well as politicians from opposite sides, gathered on Sunday at the Yudhoyono family home in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java, as well as the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta, where Ani was laid to rest.

Ani, who would have been 67 in July, was the wife of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. She died in Singapore on Saturday following a four-month fight against blood cancer and is survived by her husband, two sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren.

Winning vice-presidential candidate and Muslim cleric Ma’ruf Amin led the funerary prayers at Cikeas, where Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, among others, prayed together side-by-side.

“God willing, [Ani’s] death will act as a wake-up call for us, let us stop hating one another,” Indonesian Museum of Records (Muri) founder Jaya Suprana said as quoted by Antara news agency. “Especially since this is the holy month of Ramadan, which is the month of compassion. That is her legacy, to which we must pay attention.”

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who visited Ani on her deathbed in Singapore on Saturday, echoed Jaya’s sentiments in a Facebook post on Sunday.

“Life is so short. What is the point of cheating or being deceitful? What is the point of making enemies or creating hardship for other people?” he wrote. “Including in our national life, what is the point of constantly creating problems or strife?”

Meanwhile, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo led the proceedings for Ani’s military funeral at Kalibata, which was attended by all of the country’s living former presidents, including Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Relations between Yudhoyono and Megawati have been strained since he decided to run against then-president Megawati in the 2004 presidential elections. He was serving as coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister in her cabinet at the time.

Since then, Megawati has generally avoided attending public events that included Yudhoyono, making her presence at the funeral a rare meeting between the two.

Yudhoyono shook Megawati’s hand and expressed his appreciation for her attendance.

The Democratic Party chairman, a doting husband, seemed overcome with emotion and could not hold back his tears throughout the ceremony.

President Jokowi spoke warmly of Ani and her many contributions to the nation.

“We, the people of Indonesia, have lost one of our greatest women figures,” he said. “She was a first lady who was full of compassion, a sincere humanitarian, a mother of a happy family who consistently set an example for the country as a first lady, wife and mother.”

Ani’s eldest son, Agus Harimurti, gave the eulogy on behalf of the family, saying that his mother had accepted her cancer diagnosis with grace while remaining determined to fight against it.

“Farewell, Memo,” he said haltingly, referring to the affectionate nickname given by her children and grandchildren. “We love you and we will forever miss you.”

Public officials who interacted with Ani spoke fondly of her devotion to her husband and her family, as well as her considerable influence in political and social affairs, especially during her husband’s two terms as president.

“Every time there was a trip abroad or a visit from a foreign delegation, Ani would give 110 percent of her attention and effort to ensure that everything went smoothly,” former Yudhoyono foreign affairs minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters at Kalibata.

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