Sutiyoso Remembers Try Sutrisno as a Guiding Figure and Role Model for Military Officers

Former Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso (1997–2007) has paid tribute to Indonesia’s sixth Vice President Try Sutrisno, remembering him as a guiding figure and exemplar for alumni of the Military Academy.

Sutiyoso expressed his condolences after attending funeral prayers at Masjid Sunda Kelapa in Central Jakarta on Monday, 2 March. “May he be accepted in the sight of Allah, and may his sins be forgiven. Try was like a cornerstone. He was a role model for all of us,” said Sutiyoso.

According to Sutiyoso, Try Sutrisno was one of the most senior officers from the first cohort of the Military Academy. Sutiyoso said he had known the deceased since his own days as a Lieutenant Colonel, when Try was serving as Chief of Staff of the Army.

Their relationship deepened when Sutiyoso was appointed Commander of Kodam Jaya, the Jakarta military command, whilst Try Sutrisno served as vice president. “We met frequently. I often drove him to Halim airport for departures and picked him up when he arrived from out of town or abroad. We were close,” Sutiyoso recalled.

This bond remained intact during Sutiyoso’s tenure as Jakarta Governor, and continued after Try’s vice presidency ended.

Sutiyoso particularly valued Try’s approach to maintaining relationships without formality or distance with junior officers and soldiers. “Whenever we met, there was never any tension. He was relaxed, full of jokes. Even with me, he always spoke Javanese,” he said.

Sutiyoso also acknowledged Try’s significant role in guiding his political career. Try had encouraged Sutiyoso to lead the Prosperous Justice Party and to take charge of the Indonesian Badminton Association during leadership transitions. In 2007, after completing his governorship, Try visited Sutiyoso directly and urged him to run for president in the 2009 election.

“He was the one who suggested I run. I simply followed his lead. But a year before the election, for various reasons, I withdrew. My relationship with SBY was like that of brothers; it would not have been ethical to compete,” Sutiyoso explained.

Sutiyoso expressed shock upon first hearing of Try Sutrisno’s death, learning of it after his morning exercise when he turned on the television at home. “It was like being struck by lightning. I was very shocked and devastated. But this is God’s will; we must accept it,” he said.

Despite his grief, Sutiyoso was grateful to have been able to pay final respects to someone he regarded as both a father figure and teacher. “We have lost a national figure. But for Military Academy alumni, he will always remain our exemplar,” Sutiyoso concluded.