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irst Lady Ani Yudhoyono expressed pride after receiving one of the country’s highest awards from husband President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and pledged to continue dedicating her life to the country, including to always be at the side of the President.

She received the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana medal for her “extraordinary services” to the country, which brings with it certain honors, including the right to be buried at Kalibata National Cemetery.

“With this honor, I will work better for the nation. There is a lot that I can do both directly and indirectly to help the country,” Ani said after the award ceremony at Merdeka Palace.

Presenting the medal to her, Yudhoyono looked nervous and had diffi culty pinning the medal on his wife’s chest.

He tapped her arm lightly as she stood at the head of the line of recipients after awarding the medal.

Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Ani said she was working on programs on healthcare, education and the environment together with the wives of ministers to improve the welfare of Indonesians.

“I want women to be able to better explore their creativity to increase their income,” she said.

The Bintang Republik Indonesia and Bintang Mahaputera are the highest state honors conferred on civilians.

Yudhoyono is the first president to decorate his wife with such an honor. Soeharto awarded his late wife Tien Soeharto national heroine status just seven months after she died in April 1996. B.J. Habibie also gave an award to his wife.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, who oversaw the selection of medal recipients, stood by his decision to honor the First Lady.

“Ani is very active in social affairs,” he said.

Other recipients who attended the ceremony included former first lady Sinta Nuriyah — the widow of late former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid — and Taufik Kiemas, the husband of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

They both received the same medal as Ani.

Megawati accompanied Taufik at the ceremony but looked uncomfortable when Yudhoyono and Ani greeted the recipients.

The awarding of the medals was part of annual celebrations to mark Independence Day this month.

President Yudhoyono awarded medals to 32 people, two of whom are foreign nationals.

Malaysian King Mizan Zainal Abidin received the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana medal, while former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda was awarded the Bintang Mahaputra medal.

Both were absent Friday, as was former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who is currently a managing director at the World Bank.

“The three will receive their medals on another occasion,” Djoko said.