Indonesians and their leaders have joined the world in mourning the death of former anti-apartheid leader and South African president Nelson Mandela.

For Indonesians, Mandela has always been a source of joy and pride, especially as he was fond of batik and often wore it, even in his international appearances.

Mandela died peacefully at his Johannesburg home on Thursday evening after a prolonged lung infection, according to South African President Jacob Zuma. He was 95.

Madiba, as he was called by his people, was regarded as Indonesia'€™s chief batik ambassador, although there were questions regarding the originality of the batik he wore, and whether all of it originated from Indonesia.

Following his release from jail in 1990, Mandela visited Jakarta, where former Indonesian president Soeharto assisted him with US$10 million. However, as it was a public holiday at the time and all banks were closed, Soeharto had to order Bank Indonesia (BI) to give the money in cash to Mandela.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed his sadness on his official Twitter account on Friday. The President described Mandela as '€œa great reconciliation icon and a world figure'€.

On his official website, the President spoke of Mandela'€™s view that there was no future without forgiveness.

'€œMandela wanted the South African people to unite without holding grudges,'€ Yudhoyono said. '€œIn the name of the Indonesian nation, I express deep condolences on the death of Nelson Mandela, the former South African president.'€

While many world leaders expressed their intention to attend Mandela'€™s funeral next week, including US President Barack Obama, Yudhoyono did not indicate his plans. His spokesman, Teuku Faizasyah, said the President did not have a plan to attend the ceremony.

Vice President Boediono visited the South African Embassy in South Jakarta to offer his condolences personally.

'€œIt seems he [Mandela] held no grudge against those who imprisoned him. He strived to bring together the different groups [there] and he succeeded,'€ Boediono told reporters on Friday. '€œI think he was an incredible figure, a character that inspired us all. If we want to build our nation, we must learn from Nelson Mandela and his principles of non-violence.'€

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla said Mandela had helped promote batik in international events.

'€œNelson Mandela was braver than me when it came to wearing batik at international events,'€ Kalla said on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency. '€œHe wore batik during United Nations meetings. I would probably have hesitated to wear batik at such events, but he did not,'€ said the chairman of Indonesian Red Cross (PMI).

Human rights watchdog the Setara Institute urged Yudhoyono, who has frequently been criticized for failing to address the country'€™s religious tensions, to look to Mandela as a role model.

'€œEvery nation has its own dark past, including Indonesia. Mandela fought human rights violations and became a symbol, while in Indonesia such violence was forgotten, even by Yudhoyono, a leader who was produced by reform,'€ Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said in a statement.

'€œIndonesia, our nation and Yudhoyono must learn from Mandela on how to address past human rights violations. Such cases must be faced and resolved. Don'€™t ignore them or let them slip. Don'€™t hand them down to the next leader,'€ Hendardi added.

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