Defence Minister Sjafrie to Serve as Inspector at Juwono Sudarsono's Funeral Ceremony

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will serve as the inspector at the funeral ceremony for former Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono at Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery, Jakarta, on Sunday (29/3/2026).

“For the ceremony at Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery, it will be led directly by Inspector of the Ceremony, Mr Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin,” said Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Ministry of Defence’s Secretariat General, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, at the Ministry of Defence building in Jakarta on Sunday.

“The body will then be escorted to Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery after the release from the Ministry of Defence at 11 o’clock to be buried at Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery,” he said.

“Indeed, with it being laid in repose in this quiet room, if there are national figures who wish to attend for condolences and such, they are welcome, so the release at 11:00 will then proceed with the ceremony escorting the body to Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery,” he added.

Juwono passed away at Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta around 1:45 PM WIB. Before his death, Juwono had been battling a stroke for four years.

It is known that Juwono first joined the government as the State Minister for the Environment in Soeharto’s Seventh Development Cabinet.

In President BJ Habibie’s Reform Development Cabinet, Juwono Sudarsono served as Minister of Education and Culture.

He then served as Defence Minister during Indonesia’s fourth President, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), for the period 1999–2000.

During Indonesia’s sixth President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Juwono was again entrusted as Defence Minister in the United Indonesia Cabinet I from 29 October 2004 until 26 October 2009.