TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In the wake of Indonesia’s National Heroes Day on November 10, President Joko Widodo officially names four historical figures as national heroes.
The four figures are Tuan Guru Kiai Haji Muhammad Zainuddin Abdul Madjid, Laksamana Malahayati, Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah, and Lafran Pane. This means that Indonesia currently has 173 national heroes since its independence on August 17, 1945.
“The 173 heroes consist of 160 men and 13 women. These heroes come from civilians and military-police force,” said Minister of Social Affairs on Thursday, November 9.
Read: 12 National Heroes to be Engraved on New Rupiah Bills
The naming of the four latest heroes was based on their services towards the country. Malahayati is chosen due to her role at leading the Indonesian marine fleets against the Dutch army and successfully killed Cornelis De Houtman in 1559.
Lafran Pane from Yogyakarta, Central Java, was given the respectable title, not because of his involvement in a war, but he is considered a hero for his service in initiating the youth movement in Indonesia.
One of them was through the establishment of the Muslim Students’ Association (HMI) back in February 1947. Lafran was also one of the figures who opposed the change of Indonesia's ideology from Pancasila to Communism.
ISTMAN M.P.