Jokowi Honors Indonesia's Fallen Heroes at Kalibata Memorial Park

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Today, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) acted as an inspector in the ceremony to commemorate National Heroes Day at the Kalibata National Heroes Memorial Park in South Jakarta to honor Indonesia's fallen heroes.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, along with several members of the Indonesian Onward Cabinet and top government officials, joined the president at the commemorative event.

President Jokowi laid a wreath of flowers at the memorial park's monument, and prayed for the fallen heroes.

Religious Affairs Minister Fahcrul Razi recited prayers at the end of the event.

The National Heroes Day, which is commemorated to honor all Indonesian fighters killed and injured in the heroic Battle of Surabaya, East Java, on November 10, 1945, is also celebrated across the archipelago.

As part of the government's annual programs for commemorating the National Heroes Day, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) granted the national hero titles to six figures.

The six figures are Ruhana Kudus from West Sumatra, Sultan Himayatuddin Oputa Yii Ko from Southeast Sulawesi, Prof. M. Sardjito from Yogyakarta, Abdoel Kahar Moezakir from Yogyakarta, Alexander Andries (AA) Maramis from North Sulawesi, and KH Masykur from East Java.

"President of the Republic of Indonesia bestowed the national hero title as the highest mark of appreciation and honor for their extraordinary merits," Secretary of the Military Maj. Gen. TNI Suharyanto stated while reading out the presidential decree on granting of the national hero title on Nov 8.

Jokowi presented the honorary title to the heirs of the national heroes.

Kuddus was a female journalist from West Sumatra. She established the Amai Setia craft school in Koto Gadang and was an activist in the education sector. After her newspaper Poetri Hindia was banned by the Dutch colonial ruler, she founded the Sunting Melayu newspaper, the first of its kind for women in Indonesia.

Sultan Himayatuddin, or also known as La Karambau from Buton, Southeast Sulawesi, led the guerrilla war in Buton against the Dutch colonialism in 1755-1776.

Sardjito is the first rector of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) for the 1950-1961 term and rector of the University of Islam Indonesia (UII) for the 1964-1970 period. He prepared biscuits for soldiers in the battlefield in the wake of the problem of logistical shortage.

Abdoel Kahar Moezakir, AA Maramis, and KH Masykur were members of the Preparatory Committee for the Indonesian Independence (PPKI).

Moezakir was the rector of UII for the 1945-1948 and 1948-1960 terms. He established the Greater Indonesia Association in 1933.

AA Maramis served as finance minister for the 1945-1945 and 1948-1949 periods. He signed the first Indonesian banknotes, with denomination 1, 5, 10 cent, and 0.5, 1, 5, 10, and 100 rupiah.

KH Masykur was a founder of Pembela Tanah Air (Peta). He was the religious affairs minister for the 1947-1949 and 1953-1955 periods. As chairman of Malang branch Nahdlatul Ulama, Masykur had led Laskar Sabilillah in a war in Surabaya, East Java, in November 1945.

ANTARA