The Social Services Ministry will nominate deceased former president Soeharto to receive the national hero status for his contributions to the country, an official says.
Suyoto Sudjadi, a secretary of a team set up by the government to assess the eligibility of individuals to be declared national hero, said Monday that the former strongman fulfilled the administrative requirements to receive the honor.
Soeharto, who died two years ago at the age of 87, remains a controversial figure due to his role during the war of independence, as well as his authoritarian rule that lasted 32 years, a time marked by numerous instances of corruption, human rights violations and institutionalized violence.
Soeharto’s youngest son is optimistic the government will soon declare his father a national hero.
“It’s only a matter of time before the government bestows the honor of national hero on Soeharto due to his extraordinary contribution to this country. All people know that,” his youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, also known as Tommy, said Monday as quoted by Antara news agency.
Tommy, who was jailed for masterminding the murder of a judge, was speaking during the commemoration of the 1,000th day since the death of Soeharto at Astana Giri Bangun Matesih cemetery, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.
He added that his father’s contributions to the country were numerous, citing his role as a military leader in an attack against Dutch troops on March 1, 1949, his role in the Sept. 30 movement and the successful development of the nation and the establishment of a national family planning program during his reign.
“My family believes that the national hero title will one day be granted on my father, sooner or later,” Tommy added.
The 2009 law on national heroes stipulates that the title can bestowed on anyone who has lead any kind of armed or political struggle to achieve, defend or contribute to independence and national unity.
The law says a candidate should also have completed a great work that benefits many people and upholds the country’s dignity.
“Soeharto deserves to get the title due to his major contribution in building the country, which has led him to be called the ‘father of development’, with the food self-sufficiency program one of his prominent achievement,” Suyoto said.
Suyoto said his team consisting of 13 experts, including historians, was still discussing Soeharto’s eligibility for the honor.
“We are still examining 18 candidates, including Soeharto and former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin. We are considering their track records, including the history of their struggles and will soon propose all of the names to the state secretary,” he said.
Suyoto said it was up to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to ratify the proposals. The President will be given the names of the national hero candidates on Nov. 9, he said.
Eva Kusuma Sundari from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said that it would not be appropriate for the government to grant the title to Soeharto right now.
“Reform has been taking place for 10 years and has yet to finish. The country still has to solve a number of problems left behind by Soeharto’s regime, including chronic corruption and the unsolved gross human rights abuses that occurred under his rule,” she said. (lnd)
