Former Indonesian President Sukarno Narrowly Escapes Assassination Attempt During Eid Prayer in 1962

A tense moment occurred on 14 May 1962, corresponding to 10 Zulhijah 1381 H, when Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, narrowly avoided being shot during Eid prayer at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

Gunfire rang out among worshippers performing Eid prayer at the presidential palace grounds on 14 May 1962, with President Sukarno and several ministers present.

According to the official PDI Perjuangan East Java website, the first shot was fired while worshippers were in the ruku’ position. Gunfire continued multiple times, causing worshippers to scatter.

“The first shot missed, but the bullet struck DPRGR Chairman Zainul Arifin,” wrote Mohammad Goenawan in his 2015 book ‘Critical Moments’.

Other sources state Zainul Arifin was leading the prayer at the time. The gunfire prompted guards to shield Bung Karno. A second shot was fired, wounding Amoen, who had shielded President Sukarno with his body, in the chest.

Further shots rang out, grazing Soesilo’s head. Despite head injuries, Soesilo charged the gunman with assistance from two other guards. Though severely wounded, both Amoen and Soesilo survived.

The shooting occurred at close range, leading to the creation of a special presidential security unit.

This account is detailed by Tjakrabirawa Deputy Commander H Maulwi Saelan in his autobiography ‘Testimony of a Tjakrabirawa Deputy Commander: From the 1945 Revolution to the 1966 Coup’.

In his book, Saelan explained the gunman was positioned four rows (shaf) away from Bung Karno.

“Upon interrogation, the gunman claimed he saw two Sukarnos and was unsure which to shoot,” wrote Maulwi, who was Indonesia’s national football team goalkeeper during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics against the Soviet Union.

The Eid shooting prompted National Defence and Security Minister General Abdul Haris Nasution to propose forming a special presidential guard regiment to safeguard the president and his family.

The regiment comprised elite TNI personnel from all four branches: army, navy, air force, and police.

The proposal was approved, creating the Tjakrabirawa special guard regiment. Its name derives from a weapon of the wayang character Kresna, meaning ‘fierce circle’ in Sanskrit.

“This Eid incident changed my life. Due to this, I was transferred from Makassar to Jakarta to form the Tjakrabirawa Regiment,” wrote Saelan.