Habibie confers annual awards on 107 people
Habibie confers annual awards on 107 people
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie conferred meritorious
service stars on 107 people, including two posthumous awards to
wives of the country's founding fathers, on Saturday.
Many public figures close to Habibie, including 28 Cabinet
ministers, were among the honorees.
Awarding of the medals is an annual tradition held at the
State Palace in conjunction with Indonesia's independence
anniversary. This year's ceremony was distinguished by the
exceptionally high number of medals presented.
Besides four Bintang Republik Indonesia, the country's highest
award, Habibie awarded 103 Bintang Mahaputra.
With so many recipients and guests packing the hall, the
ceremony lacked its customary solemnity. Guests chatted noisily
as Habibie gave out the honors.
"This is like a clearance sale," sniffed a protocol official
about the long list of recipients.
Bintang Republik Adiprana were awarded to Harmoko, the
chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), and
posthumously to Fatmawati, a wife of Indonesia's first president
Sukarno, and Siti Rahmiati Hatta, wife of first vice president
Mohammad Hatta.
A Bintang Republik Utama also was conferred posthumously on
Soepomo, who headed the team that drafted the 1945 Constitution.
Harmoko collected the award in person, with relatives of the
three deceased recipients accepting their honors.
Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) chairman A.A. Baramuli, who has
been at a center of various controversies in the past year, said
he was proud of his Bintang Mahaputra. He said it deserved it for
his extraordinary services for the head of the state.
"I have given 90 pieces of advice to the President," Baramuli
said of his one-year tenure.
Twenty-eight members of the Cabinet received the honors. Nine
other Cabinet ministers were included in the list last year.
The wives of coordinating ministers Haryono Suyono and Feisal
Tandjung received Mahaputra medals, along with the wife of Golkar
Party chairman Akbar Tandjung, Krisnina Maharani.
Minister of Finance Bambang Subianto, who faces mounting calls
to resign for his handling of the Bank Bali scandal, left the
palace quickly before journalists could ask him questions.
Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi, who received the
Bintang Mahaputra Utama, vowed to work harder for the country.
He acknowledged that he was proud the President appreciated
his work since becoming a minister in May last year.
State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin
confessed to not feeling anything special about the award.
"Now I confer it on you," said Saefuddin as he jokingly
conferred the medal on his wife not long after he received it
from Habibie.
Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin was accompanied by his
family and father.
Habibie's inclusion of his wife Hasri Ainun Habibie and his
brother Junus Effendy Habibie among the 37 recipients last year
raised eyebrows.
Each star is bestowed in one of five descending categories of
merit: Adipurna, Adipradana, Utama, Pratama and Nararya.
Habibie's inclusion of close friends and advisors among this
year's recipients included Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals
Association chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro in his capacity as DPA
vice chairman and Antara general manager Parni Hadi.
His political advisor Dawam Rahardjo and the president of
state oil and gas company Pertamina, Martiono Hadianto, also were
on the list.
"This is not only an appreciation but also a burden,"
Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) chairman Ali Ya'fie said after
receiving the medal.
Respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid preferred to talk
about the next presidential election instead of the ceremony. "We
have to learn to accept anyone (as the next president),"
Nurcholis said. (prb)