Gov’t to Name Five New National Heroes

President Jokowi, accompanied by Minister of State Secretary, receives the Board of Titles, Orders of Merit, and State Decorations at Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, Thursday (11/03). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/Rusman)

The Government is set to posthumously confer the title of national hero on five figures that have been selected based on the people’s nominations.

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud M. D who also acts as Head of the Board of Titles, Orders of Merit and State Decorations made the statement following the meeting of the board with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, Thursday (11/03).

“Today after discussing with us, with the Board of Titles, Orders of Merit and State Decorations, the President has decided to confer [the title of national hero] on national figures who have fought for the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, who have fought for independence and developed the nation that the state exists as a sovereign state,” he said.

First, the Government will bestow the national hero title on DR. dr. H.R. Soeharto from Central Java province who have fought for independence with President Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia. He also participated in developing infrastructure in the country.

“He took part in building [Sarinah] department store, the National Monument, Istiqlal Mosque, and Jakarta Hospital. He was also one of the founders of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI),” Mahfud said.

Second, the Government will confer the national hero title on KGPAA Paku Alam VIII who was the Duke of Pakualaman (1937-1989). He, along with Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogyakarta Sultanate, willingly joined Indonesia in its early days of independence.

“One day after [the independence], the Duke declared that his duchy would join the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and Yogyakarta became the second capital of the Republic when the Dutch aggression occurred in 1946,” Mahfud said.

The third figure to be bestowed with the title is dr. Raden Rubini Natawisastra from West Kalimantan province, a traveling doctor who was on a humanity mission during the independence era. He and his wife were given a death sentence by the Japanese due to their persistent fight for Indonesia’s independence.

The fourth figure is H. Salahuddin bin Talibuddin from North Maluku province. He has fought for and built the country for 32 years, which caused his exile to Sawahlunto in 1918-1932 and Boven Digul in 1942.

The fifth figure is K. H. Ahmad Sanusi from West Java province, a member of the Agency for the Preparatory Work for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) who has not received the title. He is also a Muslim figure who fought for the national principle and contributed to the birth of Pancasila.

“At first, the right wing wanted it to be an Islamic country, the left wing wanted it to be a secular country, so they took a middle ground and the ideology of Pancasila was born after taking out seven words from the Jakarta Charter,” Mahfud said.

Mahfud also urged the governments of the provinces where the five national figures came from to prepare themselves to attend the commemoration of the National Heroes Day that is slated to be held next Monday (11/07) at the State Palace. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (DH/MMB)