Jakarta, NU Online
Former General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said former president Soeharto deserves to be given the national hero title by the state.
"Soeharto deserves to be awarded the national hero title," Hasyim, currently secretary general of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS), said here Monday.<<>br />
He made the statement to comment on the inclusion of Soeharto as one of nine prominent figures proposed by the people to given the status of national hero.
"Soeharto deserves to be named a national hero although he was not free of mistakes. Every era has its outstanding figure, and every such figure was meritorious in a particular era," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Soeharto's services to the nation could not be judged based on the values or norms prevailing in Indonesia today, he said.
"Soeharto came to power in a revolutionary situation. Without Soeharto, Indonesia could have become a communist country, been deprived of its state ideology Pancasila, its 1045 Constitution and of religion," he stated.
At the time, Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) revolutionary councils had been set up everywhere, from Jakarta to rural areas, and they were poised to take over power as soon as their rebellion had succeeded, Hasyim said.
In the first 15 years of Soeharto's administration, Indonesia was successful in developing its economy, but the second 15 year period, corruption was rampant in the country, he said.
"It was because there was hardly any control on the power of the military and the bureaucracy," he said.
He said Indonesia needed to conduct drive for national reconciliation to free itself of a legacy of revenge-seeking tendencies. (dar)
Former General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said former president Soeharto deserves to be given the national hero title by the state.
"Soeharto deserves to be awarded the national hero title," Hasyim, currently secretary general of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS), said here Monday.<<>br />
He made the statement to comment on the inclusion of Soeharto as one of nine prominent figures proposed by the people to given the status of national hero.
"Soeharto deserves to be named a national hero although he was not free of mistakes. Every era has its outstanding figure, and every such figure was meritorious in a particular era," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Soeharto's services to the nation could not be judged based on the values or norms prevailing in Indonesia today, he said.
"Soeharto came to power in a revolutionary situation. Without Soeharto, Indonesia could have become a communist country, been deprived of its state ideology Pancasila, its 1045 Constitution and of religion," he stated.
At the time, Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) revolutionary councils had been set up everywhere, from Jakarta to rural areas, and they were poised to take over power as soon as their rebellion had succeeded, Hasyim said.
In the first 15 years of Soeharto's administration, Indonesia was successful in developing its economy, but the second 15 year period, corruption was rampant in the country, he said.
"It was because there was hardly any control on the power of the military and the bureaucracy," he said.
He said Indonesia needed to conduct drive for national reconciliation to free itself of a legacy of revenge-seeking tendencies. (dar)
