Amirmachmud dies at 72, given hero's burial<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former speaker of the House of Representatives
\nAmirmachmud, who died at the age of 72, was buried yesterday with
\nmilitary honors at the Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery as a reflection
\nof his immense contribution to the nation.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono presided at the ceremony
\nat Kalibata which was attended by House Speaker Wahono, a host of
\ncabinet ministers and a number of senior military officers plus
\nhis relatives.<\/p>\n
\"The nation has lost one of its best sons,\" Hartono said in
\nhis brief eulogy of the deceased. There was not one person in the
\ncountry who did not know of Amirmachmud and of his services and
\ndedication to the nation, he added.<\/p>\n
A retired Army general, Amirmachmud had an illustrious career.
\nHe took part in the independence struggle. After independence, he
\nled various operations to put down various rebellions. The
\noperations led to him once being nicknamed \"bulldozer\".<\/p>\n
He was one of three generals that secured the executive order
\ntransferring power from President Sukarno to Gen. Soeharto in
\nMarch 1966. He then served as minister of home affairs for 13
\nyears from 1970 and then as house speaker in 1982-87.<\/p>\n
Tributes also poured in from people who paid their last
\nrespects at Amirmachmud's house in Jl. Teuku Umar in Central
\nJakarta, where his body was laid out before the burial ceremony.<\/p>\n
Among those who came to pay homage were President Soeharto,
\nVice President Try Sutrisno and members of virtually the entire
\ncabinet. There were also colleagues from his military days,
\nincluding Abdul Haris Nasution, Maraden Panggabean and former
\nvice presidents Umar Wirahadikusuma and Sudharmono.<\/p>\n
\"The President expressed his deepest condolences to the
\nrelatives left behind,\" Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono said.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that it was the President who decided to accord a
\nmilitary burial at Kalibata, unless the relatives decided
\notherwise, Moerdiono told reporters.<\/p>\n
There was a brief row among the relatives on where he should
\nbe buried. His wife, Shri Hardhani Sadat Siswowijoyo, insisted
\nthat his last wish was to be buried at his home village in
\nCimahi, West Java, but his children from his first marriage said
\nhe should be buried in Kalibata Cemetery.<\/p>\n
\"He asked nothing of the state and the government but
\npermission to be allowed to be buried in front of a mosque in
\nCimahi,\" Hardhani said. However, she later agreed on Kalibata.<\/p>\n
Sudharmono praised Amirmachmud for his consistency in
\ndefending the Pancasila state ideology and the 1945 Constitution.<\/p>\n
\"He was strict in his principles and was ready to sacrifice
\neverything for the sake of the Pancasila and Constitution.\"<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said Amirmachmud was the most consistent figure in
\ndefending the nation and the state ideology.<\/p>\n
\"Amir never made mistakes when he was home minister,\" Umar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Amir was very strict with military discipline, Nasution
\nrecalled.<\/p>\n
\"We'll miss him greatly,\" current House Speaker Wahono said.
\n\"But that is God's will and we have to accept (his death).\"<\/p>\n
Maraden Panggabean noted that his colleagues from the days of
\nthe independence struggle were now dying of old age. \"But I'm
\nproud of them, because they have given their best to the nation.
\nI hope their spirit of fighting is inherited by the younger
\ngeneration.\" (rms\/29)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amirmachmud-dies-at-72-given-heros-burial-1447893297",
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