The 64-year-old politician died at Abdi Waluyo Hospital, Central Jakarta, where he was being treated for an infection that had spread to his lungs.

Rahajeng Widyasari, Tjahjo's daughter, announced his death later that day at the hospital and asked people to forgive her father for his past mistakes.

“As the eldest child representing my father, [I] apologize on his behalf for any mistakes he made,” Rahajeng told reporters.

Tjahjo’s passing came five days after Rahajeng denied rumors that her father was unconscious and in critical condition, saying that he had improved and was stable.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who was in Abu Dhabi on an international trip, conveyed his condolences in a statement posted on his social media accounts.

“On behalf of the government, the state and the people, I convey my deepest condolences,” said Jokowi, who is also a PDI-P member.

The President remembered Tjahjo as a youth figure and a politician who passed away at the peak of his service to the state as minister.

“May all his deeds be received by Allah and all his families stay strong and steadfast,” he said. 

PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri conveyed her condolences through her daughter Puan Maharani, who attended Tjahjo’s wake at his ministerial residence in Widya Chandra, South Jakarta.

“On behalf of the family of ibu Megawati Seokarnoputri and the extended PDI-P family, we are deeply saddened by the passing of bapak Tjahjo Kumolo,” Puan told reporters on Friday.

“[Megawati] was very saddened by the loss of a little brother who had always supported [her] and fought beside her. [She] urged all PDI-P members to accompany Tjahjo to his final resting place,” Puan said.

Megawati instructed all party members and sympathizers to pay their respects to the deceased by flying the PDI-P flag at half-mast at party offices across the country, PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said in a separate statement.

Tjahjo’s character and dedication drew admiration from many party members, including Hasto, who called him “a legendary figure”.

“He was one of the best party members. Mas Tjahjo was known as a leader who cultivated patience and politeness, and displayed leadership that full of the spirit of friendship and unity," Hasto said.

Airlangga Hartanto, chairman of the Golkar Party who also attended Tjahjo’s funeral, remembered him as being humble and a hard worker.

“I feel a great loss,” Airlangga said. “Before joining the PDI-P, pak Tjahjo was in the Golkar Party. He was a mentor for many people, including me,” Airlangga said.

Tjahjo was buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta late on Friday, after his family held a funeral prayer led by Vice President Ma’ruf Amin at a mosque in the State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

“We have lost a good person; someone who served the nation and the country,” Ma’ruf said. “He continued to work day and night, taking steps to reform bureaucracy to build a system and make big changes."

Tjahjo was born in Surakarta, Central Java, on Dec. 1, 1957, to Bambang Soebandiono, a lieutenant in the Army, and Toeti Slemoon. Both had at some point served in the House of Representatives. 

He enrolled in Diponegoro University’s School of Law and graduated in 1985. Five years later, he was elected leader of the National Committee of Indonesian Youths' (KNPI) Central Java branch and studied at the National Defense Body (Lemhannas) until 1994.

Tjahjo’s political career began when he joined the ruling Golkar Party during the New Order era and secured his seat twice in the House between 1987 and 1997.

Following the fall of Suharto, Tjahjo joined the PDI-P, which spearheaded the political opposition against the New Order regime, and was elected back into the House in 1999. He was appointed deputy speaker of the PDI-P faction until 2002 and then faction secretary until 2003.

He ran once more in the 2002 election and remained in the House, this time as the speaker of the PDI-P faction until another election in 2009 when he once more secured his seat. 

Tjahjo, who was a long-time loyalist of Megawati, was handpicked by the matriarch to serve as the party’s secretary-general in 2010 and 2015, replacing Pramono Anung.

Tjahjo served as home minister in Jokowi’s first term before he was appointed administrative and bureaucratic reform minister.