Behind Hercules' New Post: The Story of Being 'Taken In' by Prabowo and Becoming His Confidant

Rosario de Marshall, known as Hercules, has received a new mandate. The legendary former Tanah Abang preman was officially installed as a member of the Honourary Board of the National Indonesian Workers Union (SBNI). This position adds to the long list of strategic roles now held by the General Chairman of GRIB Jaya. Previously, Hercules had also been entrusted with several important positions, both in community organisations and companies. The figure of Hercules often attracts public attention. Although known as a former ruler of Jakarta’s underworld in the 1990s, he is now active in leading the community organisation GRIB Jaya and is trusted to hold various positions. In addition to becoming the Honourary Board of SBNI, Hercules was once trusted as a Commissioner of PT Titu Harmoni, a company partnering with the state-owned enterprise PT Timah through CV Timor Ramelau. Furthermore, in June 2025 he was appointed as Commander of the West Java Islamic Boarding School at an event in Bandung. Previously, since February 2022, Hercules was entrusted with the task of being an Expert Staff member for Perumda Pasar Jaya after being declared to have passed a fit and proper test. The relationship between Hercules and President Prabowo Subianto has apparently been established for decades. In the book ‘Politik Jatah Preman: Ormas dan Kuasa Jalanan di Indonesia Pasca Orde Baru’ by Ian Wilson, it is explained that Hercules is a young man from East Timor (now Timor Leste) who was ‘taken in’ by Prabowo Subianto and Zacky Anwar Makarim in the 1980s. According to Wilson, this step was part of an effort to embrace displaced Timorese people as a form of appreciation for their loyalty to Indonesia. In the book, Hercules also admits to a debt of gratitude to Prabowo. He is ‘indebted for life’ to Prabowo and calls the general ‘the only person who can hit me without me hitting back.’ Responding to this closeness, the Head of Media and Publications for the GRIB Jaya Central Board, Marcel Gual, confirmed the strong emotional relationship between Hercules and Prabowo. However, he stressed that the organisation he leads does not exploit Prabowo’s name as a patron. ‘We are not selling Pak Prabowo’s name because we have a strong relationship between Pak Hercules and Pak Prabowo, as well as GRIB Jaya,’ Marcel explained.