Ali Wardhana (6 May 1928 – 14 September 2015), more colloquially known as Bung Ali, was an Indonesian professor and economist, who served as the third Coordinating Minister for Economics, Finance, Industry, and Development of Indonesia from 1983 until 1988 and the 21st minister of finance of Indonesia from 1968 until 1983.

He was one of Indonesia's most senior economic policy-makers during the New Order regime of President Suharto,[2] being a member of the influential Berkeley Mafia, a group of American-educated Indonesian economists who shaped the Indonesian economy during the New Order.

Subsequently earned a Master of Arts in 1961 and a doctorate in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

[5] He returned to Indonesia in 1967 and was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Economics of UI, replacing Widjojo Nitisastro.

Around this time, he reportedly resided in the house of his uncle, Ali Sastroamidjojo, an Indonesian nationalist and statesman, who would go on to become Prime Minister of Indonesia.

The Ford Foundation then began a process where students from UI were chosen to undertake overseas studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

[9] After finishing his studies at UI in 1958, and having a short stint as a lecturer at UI, where he was known to be an expert in the fields of macroeconomics and monetary policy, and was able to explain the material briefly and clearly, he was then sent abroad to continue his studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

[10][11] Ali continued his master's education at the University of California, Berkeley, United States.

[10] A year later, Ali received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1962, with the dissertation title "Monetary Policy in an Underdeveloped Economy with Special Reference to Indonesia" (1962).

[11] During his time in Berkeley, he was supported by several friends, including J.B. Sumarlin and Emil Salim, both fellow future ministers in the New Order.

Less than one year later, Ali Wardhana became Minister of Finance in the First Development Cabinet of Indonesian President Suharto.

This has resulted in the media even pinning him the title "menteri ingusan" which roughly translates to "don't know anything minister.

J.B. Sumarlin even disguised himself as a staff a work unit named Ahmad Sidik to discover the practice of extortion.