Maulwi Saelan (Super Ball/Feri Setiawan)

National goalkeeping legend, former Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) chief and also former military guard of first president Sukarno, Col. (ret) Maulwi Saelan died at the Pertamina Hospital on Monday at the age of 90 due to illness.

Maulwi was previously hospitalized at the Pondok Indah Hospital for two weeks but then managed to recover momentarily before his condition worsened, leading to his passing.

The Military Police colonel was laid to rest at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) chief Tono Suratman regarded Maulwi as a high-spirited soul with a huge commitment to improving Indonesian sports, especially soccer.

“Let us hope that Maulwi’s high spirit to unite and improve this nation through sports stays with us here,” Tono said after attending the service as quoted by Antara news agency on Tuesday.

Maulwi Saelan’s goalkeeping acumen in securing Indonesia’s net against a bombardment of attacks from the Soviet Union during the quarterfinal of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, eventually finishing nil-nil, would likely remain a moment of Indonesian sporting pride for years to come.

Even though Indonesia ultimately had to bow down to the Soviets 4-0 in the replay, as two key players had been injured, but what Indonesia displayed throughout the tie was far from that of the first timers they were, lacking in experience.

Kompas morning daily reported that along with teammates like the legendary Ramang, Djamiat, Him Tjiang, Liong Houw, Kiat Sek and captain Ramlan, Maulwi had formed Indonesia’s performance as classy and impenetrable.

“I was turned upside down in defending our net from the Red Bear’s attacks at that time,” Maulwi said.

During the Melbourne Olympics, Maulwi’s crossed paths with then president Sukarno. Impressed with his skill and performances, Sukarno made inquiries of Maulwi. Sukarno then found out he was the son of Amin Saelan, the founder of the Taman Siswa school in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Taman Siswa is a national education organization that was established during the Dutch colonial period. It aimed to change the education system, which at that time was dominated by the Dutch education system, to make it more suited to Indonesian culture.

Maulwi then enrolled to the military police branch of the army and then years after that became Sukarno’s military adjutant as deputy chief of the Cakrabirawa elite presidential guard battalion. He was also among the few guards who remained loyal to Sukarno until his last breath.

Maulwi was also imprisoned for four years and eight months as the 1965 Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) failed coup attempt also dragged the presidential guard into complicity due to the fact that one of its leaders, Lt. Col. Untung Syamsuri was allegedly among the brains behind the coup.

History has recorded Untung as the commander who managed to manipulate his troops to turn against the army’s top brass by claiming the army generals were planning a coup against Sukarno.

Following his release from prison, Maulwi demanded his name be cleared form any involvement with the coup. In his later years, he built and helped nurture the Al Azhar Syifa Budi Islamic school in Kemang, South Jakarta, up until his passing.

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