Abdul Irsan

Abdul immediately joined the foreign service upon completing his college education. He initially worked at the protocol directorate until 1967 and completed basic diplomatic training a year later. Shortly afterwards, he received his maiden overseas assignment at the embassy in Bangkok with the rank of third secretary in 1968. He was later promoted to the diplomatic rank of second secretary and served until 1972. Upon returning to Indonesia, he was appointed assistant inspector at the foreign department's inspectorate general. After finishing mid-level diplomatic training in 1973, he was dispatched to Vietnam as legal advisor to the Indonesian representative in the International Commission on Control and Supervision (ICCS) in Saigon. Between 1974 and 1975, he was appointed to the Permanent Working Group of Foreign Policies as its secretary.^[1][2]

On 12 May 1975, he was sent to Singapore as the embassy's chief of information and culture with the diplomatic rank of first secretary, and later, counsellor.^[3] At his appointment, Abdul stated that Indonesia's relations with Singapore at that time were "at its closest" and encouraged the press to maintain it. In response to reports about the dismisal of Hartono Rekso Dharsono's from the ASEAN secretary general position, Abdul summarily denied it^[4] and called upon Singaporeans to verify with the embassy news on Indonesia from foreign publications.^[5] He also announced the government's policy of mandatory national primary and secondary education for Indonesians and enforced pre-college students studying in Singapore to return to Indonesia.^[6] Abdul departed Singapore in mid-May 1979, with a farewell ceremony being held by the Union of Malay Journalists in Singapore on 14 April 1979.^[7]

Throughout the 1980s, Abdul held several high-level administrative and strategic positions. He served as the chief of administration within the directorate of foreign information from 1979 to 1982, completing his senior diplomatic training in 1981. He was then appointed as consul with the diplomatic rank of minister counsellor at the consulate general in Hong Kong from 1982 to 1984.^[8] Afterwards, between 1985 to 1986 he was the chief of the secretariat general's planning bureau and from 1986 to 1988 he was the Asia Pacific director of the foreign ministry.^[1][2] During the preparations for the 1987 legislative election, on 11 November 1985 Abdul was appointed to lead the foreign elections committee, which was responsible for managing elections abroad.^[9]

On 6 August 1988, Abdul was installed by foreign minister Ali Alatas as consul general in Los Angeles,^[10] in which he was instructed to promote tourism and to involve Indonesians in Los Angeles in ensuring the success of the Indonesian Cultural Exhibition from 1990 to 1991.^[11] He received his exequatur, which marked the beginning of his duties, on 6 October 1988.^[12] Under his leadership, the consulate general organized its first Indonesian crafts exhibition.^[13] Just several months short of the cultural exhibition, in October 1989 Abdul was reassigned to the embassy in Canberra, Australia, as its deputy chief of mission.^[14]

From Australia, Abdul became the ambassador to New Zealand, with concurrent accreditation to Fiji and Samoa, on 15 January 1992.^[15] Abdul encouraged the establishment of a Gamelan group to strengthen ties between the two country, and gave the name Padhang Moncar to the performing gamelan group.^[16] About a year later, on 24 December 1993^[17] he was recalled for an appointment as the director general of protocol and consular affairs. In this position, he acted as the chief of state protocol and was responsible in directing president Suharto's engagement with foreign guests and diplomats.^[18]

Following a three-year stint in the role, Abdul became the secretary general of the foreign department on 23 May 1995, replacing Soewarno Danusutedjo who had been in the position for seven years.^[18] Abdul encouraged the transformation of the foreign service into a "merit-based organization".^[19] Outside his official duties, Abdul also become the Indonesian Council on World Affairs chairman of advisory board following its establishment in December 1997.^[20] During the financial crisis that struck Indonesia, Abdul considered the closure of several embassies,^[21] despite his initial reluctance,^[22] and recalled one-sixth of its diplomat abroad as austerity measures.^[23] In response to major riots in Indonesia's capital Jakarta, Abdul guaranteed the safety of foreign diplomats and citizens and had hinted the armed forces to include the safety of expatriates as their top priority.^[24][25] He was replaced as secretary general by Rahardjo Jamtomo, formerly ambassador of Indonesia to the United Kingdom, on 30 November 1998.^[26]

After Suharto was ousted and replaced by his vice president B. J. Habibie, on 20 October 1998 Abdul became Indonesia's ambassador to the Netherlands.^[27] He presented his credentials to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on 16 December 1998.^[28][29] In February 2000, Abdul accompanied president Abdurrahman Wahid during his state visit to the Netherlands.^[30] Abdul later gained nationwide attention for boycotting the 400th anniversary celebration of the VOC in 2002 after he was invited by Queen Beatrix to attend the anniversary at the Ridderzaal. Abdul stated that his refusal to attend was done at the instruction of the foreign ministry and citing the principles of Indonesia's constitution which was explicitly against colonialism.^[31][32] Abdul later authored a lengthy op-ed on the issue at one of the Netherlands leading newspaper, stating that celebration would never be acceptable to Indonesians and the event was an affront to the Indonesian struggle for independence.^[33][34] He utilized the Dutch media to explain that Indonesia could not celebrate an era of oppression and criticized the "imbalance" of historical narratives dominated by Western viewpoints. After his ambassadorial term in the Netherlands ended on 2 August 2002,^[35] Abdul published a book on the bilateral relations between the two countries, titled Hubungan Indonesia-Belanda: Antara Benci dan Rindu (Indonesia-Netherlands Relations: Between Hate and Longing).^[32][36]

On 20 March 2002, Abdul was nominated by president Megawati Sukarnoputri as ambassador to Japan, with concurrent accreditation to Micronesia. Although the House of Representatives objected his appointment due to his old age, the government proceeded to nominate him for approval by the Japanese government.^[37] Siswo Pramono, a diplomat who would later go on to become Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, criticized the objections by the House and stated that "age is irrelevant in the quest to determine who is a good diplomat".^[38] The Japanese government gave its assent on Abdul's posting in Japan on 22 October, stating that the controversy on Abdul's age "rests entirely on Indonesia's behalf".^[39] After the approval was made public, the House immediately inquired the government regarding its decision to nominate Abdul.^[40] The issue was resolved on 29 January 2003^[41] and Abdul was finally installed on 19 February 2003.^[42] He presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito of Japan on 10 April 2003^[2] and to president Joseph Urusemal of Micronesia on 22 January 2004.^[43] In March 2006 Abdul apologized for illegal levies leveled at consular and citizen services in the embassy.^[44] Abdul vacated his position on 30 April 2006 and was replaced by chargé d'affaires ad interim Iwan Wiranataatmadja.^[45]

Abdul is married with four children. Abdul died on 13 March 2013 and was buried at the Jeruk Purut public cemetery.^[46]