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resident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono named two National Heroes on Thursday: physician Johannes Leimena and Indonesian Army officer Johannes Abraham Dimara. Not named were former presidents Soeharto or Gus Dur.

Honorary Title and Order-of-Merit Council member Jimly Asshiddiqie said the two figures were “meritorious commanders and heroes” during the nation’s struggle for independence.

“It’s been some time since their deaths and we have to honor what they have done for this country,” said Jimly, the former head of the Constutional Court.

Leimena, born in 1905, was an internist who was deeply in Indonesia’s independence struggle before 1945 and laid the groundwork of the country’s first public health policies.

The Mollucan native was health minister during the first decade of the country’s independence.

Under his tenure, the nation developed “Puskesmas” public health centers that promoted government and community partnerships to improve health care at the community level.

The World Health Organization later lauded puskesmas and transplanted the concept to other countries.

Dimara, born in 1916, was involved in the independence struggle in 1946, ambushing Dutch police in Namlea, Maluku.

As an Indonesian Army officer he fought to free Papua, then called West Irian, from Dutch colonization in 1950s.

He was also part of the Indonesian government’s diplomatic negotiations to free the region at the United Nations.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday granted the pair National Hero status at a ceremony commemorating Indonesian Heroes Day at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The President also awarded honorary medals for cultural and military achievements.

Among honorary medal recipients for cultural contributions were painter Affandi, writer and poet Yusuf Bilyarta Mangun Wijaya and poet and dramatist Willibrordus Surendra Bawana Rendra.

Former president Soeharto, whose nomination as a national hero has been subject to long-standing controversy, was not named a National Hero, nor was former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.

Jimly said that the council preferred not to select either of the former presidents to avoid “controversy”.

“There has been heated debate about it. The heroism of Pak Harto and Gus Dur are not the right messages we need now from heroes,” he said.

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie said the decision to omit Indonesia’s second and fourth presidents from its heroes’ list this year was fair.

“I have noticed that the news about them is still creating huge controversy among the people. Thus to avoid unnecessary conflict between fellow citizens, I think the best way to deal with it is to give it more time,” Marzuki told journalists Thursday.

He added that, “I believe that given the fact both of them did huge favors for this country, the hero titles will come in a matter of time.” (ipa)