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)