About 3,000 candidates who were applying for vacancies at the trade ministry were surprised to find the question about the president-cum-crooner's most recent collection of pop songs under the general knowledge section.
"I got a headache choosing the answer," one applicant, Anita, told the Okezone news website, describing the question as the hardest in the whole exam.
While she knew Yudhoyono had released several albums, it was not part of her exam preparation, she added.
Trade ministry spokesman Robert James Bintaryo denied there was any hidden political agenda in the question."What is wrong if a general knowledge question is about SBY's song?" he said, using the president's nickname.
"It's part of the general knowledge questions. There were 30 to 40 questions in that section and the song title was only one question," he was quoted by the Jakarta Globe newspaper as saying.
Yudhoyono released his third romantic pop album "I'm Certain I'll Get There" earlier this year, following up from his 2007 debut "My Longing for You", and 2009's "Evolution".
Like the 61-year-old former general's previous two albums, "I'm Certain I'll Get There" deals with themes such as love, loyalty and patriotism.
The liberal ex-general won a second five-year term in July 2009 on a platform of bringing economic growth, political reform and good governance.
PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's fugitive opposition leader on Wednesday lost an appeal against a two-year jail term imposed in absentia for uprooting border markings.
The appeals court in the capital Phnom Penh upheld Sam Rainsy's January conviction for inciting racial discrimination and intentionally damaging wooden posts denoting Cambodia's boundary with Vietnam.The court did, however, agree to release the two villagers who were convicted alongside the opposition politician and jailed for a year for damaging the border markings during the incident in October 2009.
Sam Rainsy, who lives in self-imposed exile in Europe, faces a total of 12 years in prison if he returns to Cambodia, after a court last month sentenced him to 10 years in jail for publishing a false map of the border with Vietnam.
The Sam Rainsy party and rights groups have in the past said the convictions against the opposition leader were politically motivated and an attempt to keep him from taking part in Cambodia's upcoming national elections.
"I cannot accept this decision because my client has not incited and destroyed. My client just wants to have a resolution and defend territorial integrity," Sam Rainsy?s lawyer Choung Choungy told reporters at the court.
Sam Rainsy, the main rival to premier Hun Sen, has repeatedly accused Vietnam of encroaching on Cambodian territory.
No formal map has ever been agreed between the two countries.
The neighbouring nations officially began demarcating their 1,270-kilometre (790-mile) border in September 2006 after decades of territorial disputes stemming from French colonial times.
Hun Sen: In touch with Abhisit
Thawatchai Samutsakhon said yesterday the Department of Special Investigation should have been more discreet and sought to avoid inflaming tensions between the two countries.
Lt Gen Thawatchai called the DSI "tactless" for making public information it had received after arresting 11 men at a resort in Chiang Mai 12 days ago. It had only upset Phnom Penh and complicated bilateral ties in the absence of substantive evidence.
"The best way to approach an issue which could lead to friction is not to mention other countries," he said.
The DSI claimed on Monday the group of 11 men had admitted to receiving weapons training in Cambodia together with 28 other men in preparation to carry out acts of terrorism in Thailand.
Lt Gen Thawatchai said he doubted the training took place in Cambodia. The DSI had not asked the 2nd Army Region, which oversees the Cambodian border, for information.
The DSI report drew an angry response from Cambodia yesterday which accused Thai authorities of playing "dirty games" and of concocting evidence, an AFP report said.
"Cambodia strongly demands that Thailand's DSI put an end to the dirty games of concocting evidence to deflect Thailand public opinion from Thailand's own internal political and social problems," a spokesman for the Council of Ministers said, as quoted by AFP.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said he had been in touch with his Thai counterpart, Abhisit Vejjajiva, about the allegations and asked him to clarify Bangkok's position, the report said.
Hun Sen said in a speech at a university graduation ceremony that Cambodia had a "responsibility to fight against terrorism" and that it would "not interfere in Thailand's internal affairs".
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday played down speculation the DSI report would affect relations with Cambodia.
He said he expected the two countries to look into the report together to get the facts right.
The Foreign Ministry has asked the DSI for information to give to Cambodia to help with its investigation into the charges.
"I believe that this situation will not affect bilateral relations. When it is news, the two nations should discuss it together," Mr Kasit said.
"Thailand has to send information from the DSI to Cambodian officials to ask for their cooperation in checking the facts."
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