Yogya sultan to get royal title

Yogya sultan to get royal title

Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang

West Sumatra's Pagaruyung Palace will bestow a royal title on
Yogyakarta's Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and his wife Kanjeng Gusti
Ratu Hemas in Padang on April 29, 2002.

The Sosongko award means that the sultan, who also serves as
the Yogyakarta governor, will receive the royal title Yang
Dipertuan Maharajo Alam Sakti and his wife as Puan Gadih Puti
Reno Indaswari from the Pagaruyung Palace' heir Sutan Muhamad
Taufik Thaib.

Speaking to journalists on Monday in Padang, the West Sumatra
capital, Taufik said the endowment was decided recently by the
Minangkabau highest consultative meeting attended by palace
elders.

He said the award was aimed at "reactualizing" the respect for
the Pagaruyung's first sultan, Adityawarman, who was of Javanese
descent.

"The bloodline of Pagaruyung and Javanese rulers was connected
by Raden Wijaya who was the first king of Java's Majapahit
kingdom," Taufik added.

He further said the title was also bestowed to retrace the
Pamalayu expedition that occurred in 1275, when King Kartanegara
sent troops and diplomats to Malay territory to establish a
friendship.

At the time, two Minangkabau princesses, Dara Petak and Dara
Jingga joined the expedition and were both married by Raden
Wijaya.

The sultan will be the third figure to receive a similar award
from the Pagaruyung heirs.

West Sumatra's Minangkabau communal organization (LKAAM)
leader Kamardi Rais Simulie said the award for the sultan was
first proposed by Minang students and people living in
Yogyakarta.

The Minang community members, who officially submitted the
proposal to his group on Aug. 12 last year, argued that the royal
award would be fitting as they felt they were "protected and
respected" since they lived in Yogyakarta, he said.

Kamardi said LKAAM leaders met on Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 2001 and
decided to accept the proposal.

As his organization had no specific title for the Yogyakarta
governor, it later asked the Pagaruyung heirs to bestow him and
his wife with a royal title, he added.

Kamardi said the Minang people can award an honorary title
only to someone who deserved to it. "It is the title of Datuk
that cannot be given to others (outsiders)."

The Malay Datuk title is a hereditary one, which only those
from the same tribe or group are entitled to, he added.