President Of The Love Of National Hero Titles For Suharto

President Joko Widodo (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Laily Rachev)

JAKARTA - The government will award the title of national hero to five figures selected based on the proposal of the community and have gone through a number of selection processes.

This decision was made after President Joko Widodo, who was accompanied by Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, received a Dewan Degree, Certificate of Service, and Honorary Certificate, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Thursday, November 3. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud Md is the Chairman of the Degree Council, Service Certificate, and Honorary Sign.

"Today, Mr. President, after discussing with us, with the Council of Holds and Honorary Signs, it decided this year to give five (national heroes) to national figures who have fought to establish the Republic of Indonesia through the struggle for independence and fill it with development so that we exist today as sovereign countries," Mahfud Md said as quoted by the Presidential Secretariat.

First, the government will award the title of national hero to the late DR. dr. H. R. Suharto from Central Java who is considered to have fought with President Soekarno in the struggle for independence of the Republic of Indonesia. Even after independence, the late DR. dr. H. R. Suharto participated in the development of a number of infrastructures in the country.

"Following the construction of a sharia department store and the construction of the National Monument and the Istiqlal Mosque and the construction of the Jakarta Hospital as well as one of the founders of the establishment of IDI (Indonesian Doctors Association)," said Mahfud.

Second, the government will award the title of national hero to the late KGPAA Paku Alam VIII who was the King of Paku Alam from 1937-1989. Several services that have been given by the late KGPAA Paku Alam VIII include Sultan Hamengkubowono IX from the Yogyakarta Palace integrating itself at the beginning of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia so that the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is intact to date.

"The day after (independence) he declared joining the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and then Yogyakarta became the second capital city from the Republic when there was Dutch aggression in 1946," said Mahfud.

Third, the government will award the title of national hero to the late dr. Raden Rubini Natawisastra, from West Kalimantan. According to Mahfud, the late dr. Raden Rubini Natawisastra has carried out a humanitarian mission as a mobile doctor during independence. In fact, the deceased and his wife were sentenced to death by Japan for their persistent struggle for the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

Fourth, the government will award the title of national hero to the late H. Salahuddin bin Talibuddin from North Maluku. For 32 years, the late H. Salahuddin bin Talibuddin was considered to have struggled and helped build Indonesia based on Pancasila. "He was exiled to Boven Digul in 1942 and also exiled to Sawahlunto in 1918-1923," said Mahfud.

Fifth, the government will award the title of national hero to the late KH Ahmad Sanusi from West Java. Mahfud explained that the late Kyai Ahmad Sanusi was a member of the Investigating Agency for the Preparation of Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) who had not received the title of national hero. He is also an Islamic figure who fights for the basis of the state which resulted in a compromise in the birth of the Pancasila state.

"From the beginning there was a right side to want to make an Islamic state, the left side becomes a secular state, then the middle way is taken, the Pancasila ideology is born after agreeing to the deletion of seven words in the Jakarta Charter," said Mahfud.

Mahfud also appealed to areas that were the origin of the figures who received the title of national hero to prepare to attend the commemoration of Heroes' Day on November 10, which is planned to be held on Monday, November 7, 2022 at the State Palace in Jakarta.

"We suggest that the regions that already have proposals and are approved by the government to immediately prepare themselves to attend and welcome, whether traditional ceremonies, regional ceremonies, or whatever can be done to welcome this award," said Mahfud.