Coordinating Legal, Political and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD announced on his official Twitter account that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo would also officially recognize historical figures Sutan Mohammad Amin Nasution and Raden Said Soekanto Tjokrodiatmodjo, among others, as national heroes later this month.

“On Nov. 10 and 11, the President will award the titles of national hero and Bintang Mahaputra. [National hero] awardees include SM Amin and Soekanto, while [Bintang Mahaputra] recipients include Gatot Nurmantyo and Arief Hidayat,” Mahfud tweeted on Tuesday on his verified Twitter account @mohmahfudmd.

Born in Tegal, Central Java, on March 13, 1960, Gatot graduated from the Military Academy in 1982. Before becoming the TNI chief for 2015-2017, Gatot was the Army chief of staff for 2014-2015 and commander of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command for 2013-2014.

Following his retirement from the military in 2017, Gatot together with hundreds of other national figures formed in August 2020 the Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) — a movement with the stated aim of preventing any deviations from Indonesia’s founding principles — earlier this year.

He currently serves as KAMI presidium board member.

Gatot has previously criticized the Jokowi administration, most recently for its “repressive” handling of criticism and protests against the controversial Job Creation Law.

Mahfud said that all former TNI chiefs and other state officials were eligible to receive the Bintang Mahaputra.

"All former [TNI] chiefs and all former ministers and heads of state institutions who completed one term get the Bintang Mahaputra. It [the medal] has to be given without discrimination," he tweeted on Wednesday.

However, Mahfud admitted that the government was in a dilemma about conferring the medal on Gatot.

"The government knows that to give or not to give the Bintang Mahaputra to Pak Gatot Nurmantyo will be questioned," he tweeted. "If it is conferred, it would be seen as [buying his] silence, if it is not conferred, it [would be seen as] discriminatory against those who are critical," he tweeted.

"However, the Bintang Mahaputra is Pak GN's right, just like the rights of Bu Susi Pujiastuti and the others," Mahfud said referring to Gatot using his initials.

Meanwhile, Arief currently still serves on the nine-panel bench of the Constitutional Court.

Arief was born on Feb. 3, 1956, and graduated from the University of Diponegoro's (Undip) Law School in Semarang, Central Java, in 1980. He earned his master's degree from Airlangga University in Surabaya, East Java, and a doctorate from Undip.

He started his career as a lecturer in Undip and received his professorship in Undip in 2008.

In 2018, Jokowi inaugurated Arief as a Constitutional Court justice for his second and final term despite mounting public calls for the justice to step down from his post. Following his inauguration, he was reelected as the court's chief justice.

During his first term as chief justice between 2015 and 2017, Arief drew criticism for violating justice ethics twice — in 2016 and in 2017. He received light sanctions in both cases.

On the list of national heroes, Amin was a prominent figure within the Youth Pledge Movement who went on to influence Indonesia’s independence.

Born in Lhoknga, Aceh, on Feb. 22, 1904, Amin served as the first governor of North Sumatra, Aceh and Riau before his death in 1993 at 89 years old.

Soekanto was inaugurated by the country’s first president and founding father Soekarno as the first National Police chief following independence.

Born in Bogor, West Java, in June 1908, Soekanto passed away in 1993 at 85 years old.

Soekanto's name is immortalized as the National Police's main hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta.

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