Actor Rano gets government award

JAKARTA (JP): The government is to honor Rano Karno, producer of and actor in the popular television series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel the Student) and 24 other young people.

All will receive the title Pemuda Pelopor, or "pioneer youths".

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Hayono Isman, told reporters yesterday that Vice President Try Sutrisno will present the awards tomorrow during the ceremony to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Youth Pledge at the Senayan Sports Stadium.

The awards will be given in recognition of the young people's contribution in various development programs, Hayono said.

Rano is receiving the award because of his success in popularizing the television series, which he developed from the local culture of Jakarta, among people from various ethnic groups in the country. Some people have called the series a reflection of the wealth of the culture of the Betawi, the native people of Jakarta.

Kompas recently conducted a survey on the popularity of the show and found that 70 percent of Jakarta's nine million people love Si Doel.

Try Sutrisno will also present West Java Governor R. Nuriana and East Java Governor Moch. Basofi Soedirman with the Anugerah Adimanggala Karya award, in recognition of their administrative achievements.

Another award, called Anugerah Palapa Karya Utama, will be made to H.Bachrum Achmad Bashowi and Amirul Mu'minin of West Java.

Indonesian youth leaders, under the oppression of the colonial power, declared the Youth Pledge in 1928, vowing to unite into one nation.

Some of the other recipients of the awards are Didik Heryana A.R., a youth leader from West Java; Ibrahim Saleh, from Aceh; Irwan Suhenda from Jakarta; and I Made Mangku from Bali.(31)