B. J. Habibie

The third president of the Republic of Indonesia, B. J. Habibie. He faced many difficult problems after the sudden resignation of his long-time patron, Suharto. Many people were surprised at his support for several of the reforms that were being demanded by demonstrators, at his actions for more openness and less corruption (including the resignation of his sons from lucrative business posts), and by his readyness to step down if necessary after a special session of the Assembly and special elections. However, others still did not trust him after his many years as one of Suharto's closest associates, and insisted that he step down as soon as possible himself. By the end of his presidency, the Bank Bali scandal and other affairs had confirmed the fears of his critics and weakened public support for him, even within the Golkar party.

Habibie became the first President of Indonesia who was not a native of Java (he was originally from Pare Pare, on Sulawesi).

In July 1998, US$9 billion was transferred from a Swiss bank account controlled by Suharto to an account in Austria, in an attempt to move the funds to a more secure location before they could be identified by investigators. The transfer was hidden from the public until it was reported by U.S.-based Time magazine in May 1999.