The government awarded Bintang Mahaputera Adipradana medals on Tuesday, the highest civilian honor after the Bintang Republik Indonesia medal, to 11 figures, including eight ministers, for their services to the state.

The awarding of the medals was part of annual celebrations to mark Independence Day this month.

Ahead of the 2014 elections, two chairmen of parties grouped under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s led coalition were bestowed with the medals.

They are the Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the father-in-law of the President'€™s son Edhie Baskoro, and the Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, who is also the chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

Hatta denied the award was given to him because of his ties with Yudhoyono. '€œLet the people judge. I'€™ve served 13 years as minister, but I'€™ve not expected anything. One must be fully dedicated,'€ he told reporters.

Suryadharma, who is often criticized for his failure to address rising intolerance against minority groups in the country, said the medal was given merely to honor his performance as a minister.

'€œI cannot reveal my achievements [that were used as a basis for assessing the award]. People may scrutinize this event, but I only work according to my instincts and feelings,'€ said Suryadharma, who previously served as a cooperatives and small and medium enterprises minister.

The President also gave his party supreme assembly secretary Jero Wacik the same medal. Jero is the energy and mineral resources minister.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, who oversaw the selection of medal recipients, said one of the reasons these individuals were chosen was because they had served for two terms as ministers.

'€œIt means they are trusted by the President to ease his burden [in running the country],'€ he said.

The other five ministers were: State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, and Education and Culture Minister Muhammad Nuh, who recently gained notoriety for his ministry'€™s failure to hold the national exams.

According to Sudi, the selection of the recipients was not in the hands of the President. '€œOthers, including the committee, are the ones who judge it. They received input from various people,'€ he said.

Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, who has announced his readiness to run in the 2014 presidential race and is weighing his options to participate in the Democratic Party'€™s primary, also received the honor. '€œThis is an objective appraisal of my performance. At the same time the medal will encourage me to keep doing good things,'€ he said.

The other two medals were given to the late Rahmah El Yunusiyyah, a Muslim education pioneer, and the late Abdul Rahman Baswedan, who was a part of Indonesia'€™s political history as a member of the Preparatory Body for Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI).

It was not the first time Yudhoyono bestowed similar medals of honor on controversial figures.

In 2011, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono received the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana medal for her '€œextraordinary services'€ to the country, which brings with it certain honors, including the right to be buried at Kalibata National Cemetery. At that time, Djoko said Ani was '€œvery active in social affairs'€, although many criticized the lack of evidence behind this claim.

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