Government confers three national hero titles

Government confers three national hero titles

JAKARTA (JP): The government conferred posthumously on Tuesday
three national hero honors and presented many other citizens with
medals for outstanding service to the country.

In a ceremony presided over by Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, the government designated as national heroes the
late former minister of home affairs Hazairin, late former
Central Sumatra Legislative Council speaker Ilyas Yacoub and West
Kalimantan hero Abdul Kadir Gelar Raden Tumenggung Setia
Pahlawan.

They also received the coveted Mahaputra Adipradana medal.

The medal presentation is regularly held in conjunction with
National Heroes Day which falls on Nov. 10. However, a vice
president never previously conferred the medals.

Megawati was representing President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was
on his way home from an official visit to eight Southeast Asian
countries.

Also on hand at the ceremony were Megawati's husband Taufik
Kiemas, Chief Justice Sarwata, Coordinating Minister for
Political Affairs and Security Gen. Wiranto, Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty Eradication Hamzah Haz,
Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar, Minister of Home Affairs
Surjadi Soedirdja, State Minister of Human Rights Affairs
Hasballah M. Saad, State Secretary Ali Rahman and Army chief Gen.
Subagyo Hadisiswoyo.

The government also granted Mahaputera Adipradana medals to
independence pioneer the late Ario Soerjo, who was a member of
the Board Preparing for Indonesia's Independence (BPUPKI), late
former information minister Sjahboeddin Latif and late former
deputy chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) Suparman
Achmad.

Mahaputera Utama medals were awarded to late anthropologist
Koentjoroningrat, former North Sulawesi governor Hein Victor
Worang, chairman of a committee which purchased Seulawah RI 001
and 002 state planes for the newly established Indonesian
government, Teuku Panglima Polem of Aceh, Acehnese hero Teuku
Nyak Makam, South Kalimantan hero Prince Hidayatullah and West
Sumatran hero Rahman El Yunusiyah.

Mahaputera Pratama medals were presented to the late former
chief of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas
(MUI) Abdullah Syafi'ie and late indigenous businessman Achmad
Bakrie.

Mahaputera Nararya were awarded to West Kalimantan hero Gusti
Abdurrani Gelar Pahlawan Natakusuma, Rahadi Osman, Bardan Nadi,
Ali Anyang, the founder of Al Irsyad organization Abdul Rahman
Ambo Dalle and late ulema Asaad.

The Vice President also presented Mahaputera Utama to the
families of the late Toeti Aziz, a noted journalist who headed
the Surabaya Pos daily and Ani Idrus from Medan-based Waspada
newspaper. (02)