Yogyakarta. Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X, the governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, is temporarily stepping back from his official duties to undergo a medical examination, prompting Deputy Governor Paku Alam X to assume day-to-day administrative responsibilities, a local official said on Thursday.

The arrangement will remain in effect from June 24 to July 1, according to the Yogyakarta provincial administration.

Provincial Secretary Ni Made Dwi Panti Indrayanti urged the public not to speculate about the temporary delegation of authority, stressing that the move is a routine administrative procedure rather than an extraordinary development.

“It is entirely normal when the head of an institution is temporarily unable to carry out official duties, whether due to illness, official travel, or leave. In such circumstances, daily responsibilities are handled by the deputy,” Ni Made said.

She said the 80-year-old governor’s absence was solely related to a routine health examination.

“The governor’s main agenda at the moment is simply to undergo a medical check-up,” she said.

Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X has served as governor of Yogyakarta since 1998 and is one of Indonesia’s longest-serving regional leaders.

Yogyakarta occupies a unique place in Indonesia’s political system. The province holds special autonomous status in recognition of the historical role played by the Yogyakarta Sultanate during Indonesia’s struggle for independence.

Unlike governors in Indonesia’s other provinces, who are elected through direct regional elections, the governor and deputy governor of Yogyakarta are appointed from the ruling houses of the Yogyakarta Sultanate and the Pakualaman Principality under the Special Region of Yogyakarta Law.

Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwana X serves both as the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta and as the province’s governor, while Paku Alam X serves as both deputy governor and ruler of the Pakualaman Principality.

The provincial government stressed that public services and administrative operations will continue as normal during the governor’s brief absence.

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