Former National Police Chief, General Hoegeng Imam Santoso Died On July 14, 2004

JAKARTA - Today, 18 years ago, July 14, 2004, Indonesia lost an exemplary police officer. General Hoegeng Imam Santoso, his name. He died after undergoing treatment for a stroke at Cipto Mangoenkoesumo Hospital (RSCM), Central Jakarta.

Hoegeng during his life was a role model. His actions are amazing. Likewise his many achievements. His figure can not be steered. Especially bribed. His life is sometimes at stake. Gait that made Hoegeng dubbed a rare human.

Police is Hoegeng's dream since childhood. The heroism of a police officer in maintaining order and helping people is the estuary. Then he chased the dream. It was finally achieved. Hoegeng officially became a police officer. He does his job diligently and painstakingly. Because of this, Hoegeng's popularity as a police officer with honesty and integrity has increased.

This achievement reached the ears of the first Indonesian National Police Chief, Raden Said Soekanto. The National Police Chief challenged Hoegeng to eradicate gambling, smokel (smuggling), and corruption in Medan. The task was deliberately given to Hoegeng. because Soekarno believed that Hoegeng was the right person to carry out a massive clean-up in Medan.

Hoegeng was then appointed by Soekanto as Head of Criminal Investigation Unit for the North Sumatra Police in Medan. Hoegeng understands that Medan is usually the place for a police test case. Which, if a policeman manages to carry out his duties well then his popularity will increase. Meanwhile, those whose influence can be "bought" by entrepreneurs will be considered as failures.

Hoegeng clearly sticks to his principles. He does his job to the best of his ability. In fact, when he arrived in Medan, Hoegeng flatly refused the gifts – bribes – given.

Not running out of ideas, a businessman called Hoegeng Cina Medan then tried to decorate Hoegeng's official house with luxurious furniture. However, again Hoegeng refused.

“China, the briber, is really bad. Ignoring his presence, I ordered the police officers who helped and the coolies to forcefully remove the items that were not for sata to the side of the road in front of the house: piano, cupboards, table, guest chairs, buffet, dining table, refrigerator, radio. , tape recorders, teak couches, and who knows what else.”

“It's a shame to actually throw away those luxurious luxury furniture, which we don't know when we can buy ourselves. Especially if you want to take the house and the previous prize car! However, it is better than breaking the trust of my late father and betraying my oath of office as a law enforcement officer in this republic," said Hoegeng as written by Abrar Yusra and Ramadhan KH in the book Hoegeng: Ideal Police and Reality (1993).

Hoegeng never played games in upholding justice in Medan. All kinds of activities that violate the law crushed. He wants to show the ideal police identity is through his actions. He successfully suppressed the affairs of gambling, smuggling, and corruption.

In every case he finds, Hoegeng often sees corrupt police officers. The corrupt police are a kind of "background" for the illegal businesses of local businessmen. Hoegeng doesn't care. Anyone who violates the law must be dealt with immediately.

His courage in law made him popular in Saentero Medan. It is liked by many people. However, the enemy is no less powerful. On average they come from corrupt police officers and businessmen whose business is disrupted by Hoegeng's presence. A spell of witchcraft to the attempted murder of Hoegeng was carried out. However, Hoegeng was not afraid. In fact, he lived a long time.

"Because he doesn't want to compromise, Hoegeng also often faces death threats. One of them, when Hoegeng was targeted by snipers when he was on duty in the outskirts of the forest in the city of Medan. However, Hoegeng did not say in what case he was targeted. Hoegeng also didn't say who the shooter was."

“Hoegeng said he had been shot by a sniper. Luckily nothing hit the mark. Apparently Hoegeng was targeted because Hoegeng didn't want to compromise. Hoegeng indeed escaped death, but the shooter was also not caught because he fled,” Suhartono wrote in the book Hoegeng: Police and Exemplary Ministers (2014).

After serving in Medan, Hoegeng's career became smooth. He was trusted by Soekarno to fill the Head of the Immigration Service (1960-1964). Even though he is far from the police, Hoegeng is still running well. Therefore, he was trusted to be Minister of State Contributions (1964-1966), and Minister of Secretary to the Presedium of the Cabinet (1966). At its peak, Hoegeng became the National Police Chief (1968).

His work as the National Police Chief is no less flashy. He solves a lot of big cases. His figure was increasingly recognized as a figure who can not be driven. In fact, until Hoegeng breathed his last on July 14, 2004 at the RSCM. He is also remembered as a rare human.

“His tenacity in solving this big case caused Hoegeng to be dismissed by President Suharto even though his term of office had not actually ended. Previously, Hoegeng also pioneered the use of helmets for motorized vehicle drivers, which at that time became a polemic. Now I feel that the instructions are indeed forgiving,” concluded Historian Asvi Warman Adam in the book Uncovering the Mysteries of History (2010).