Prabowo Awards Honorary Rank to Bung Karno's Former Aide-de-Camp

President Prabowo Subianto has awarded an honorary rank of the Republic of Indonesia to retired Police Inspector General Sidarto Danusubroto, the former Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) for the 2013-2014 period and the last aide-de-camp to Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno. The honour was bestowed by President Prabowo during a ceremony marking the 80th Bhayangkara Day at the Police Mobile Brigade Corps Training Centre in Cikeas, Bogor Regency, West Java, on Wednesday. Sidarto is known as the final aide-de-camp to President Soekarno during the power transition following the Supersemar decree. He was assigned as aide-de-camp on 6 February 1967, replacing Police Grand Commissioner Sumirat, who had been detained, and accompanied Bung Karno until the proclamator’s death. Born in Pandeglang, Banten, on 11 June 1936, Sidarto began his police education at the Police Science College in 1955, followed by police training in the United States from 1964 to 1965. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka noted that Sidarto’s educational background in the US was a reason he was chosen as Bung Karno’s aide-de-camp. During his assignment, Sidarto was interrogated for four years over an alleged plan to help Bung Karno escape during his house arrest at Wisma Yaso. Sidarto’s police career continued with postings as Tangerang Police Chief, Head of the Police Information Service, and Head of Interpol Indonesia. He later served twice as a Regional Police Chief, for South Sumatra and West Java. After retiring from the police force, Sidarto pursued a political career, serving as a member of the DPR/MPR RI from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle for three terms starting in 1999, before being appointed MPR Speaker in 2013 by PDI Perjuangan Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, replacing the late Taufiq Kiemas. He was also a member of the Presidential Advisory Council during President Joko Widodo’s administration. The honorary rank ceremony also recognised two other retired police officers: former Corruption Eradication Commission Chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki and former State Apparatus Empowerment Minister Taufiq Effendi.