Two Major Islamic Organizations United in Voice: Soeharto Deserves to Be Honored as a National Hero
Jakarta – Support for granting the title of National Hero to Indonesia’s second president, Soeharto, continues to grow stronger. This time, two prominent figures from major Islamic organizations, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), expressed their appreciation for the government’s move to recognize Soeharto’s significant contributions to the nation’s struggle for independence and national development.
The Head of the Council for Libraries and Information of Muhammadiyah’s Central Board (PP Muhammadiyah), Dr. Makroen Sanjaya, stated that Soeharto’s figure should be viewed as a whole and comprehensively, not just from one side of history.
“Muhammadiyah has studied his leadership as the second president. We evaluate him comprehensively, not partially. After our research, since the era of the independence revolution, he has made major contributions to the nation,” he said during a televised dialogue on Sunday (Nov 9).
Makroen explained that Soeharto played an important role from the revolutionary period through his leadership in the New Order era.
“If we refer to the figure of Indonesia’s second president, Mr. Soeharto, since 1946 he had already contributed. Historical records show that during a leftist coup attempt, he, as a military officer, managed to handle the situation. Not to mention the March 1st General Offensive in Yogyakarta, and later the 1965 G30S/PKI incident—he was a key figure in resolving those crises,” he said.
Furthermore, he noted that Soeharto’s achievements in agriculture and the economy earned international recognition for Indonesia.
“We achieved food self-sufficiency and gained global acknowledgment—he even delivered a speech at the FAO forum,” Makroen explained.
Makroen also emphasized the importance of respecting the services of national leaders.
“If, as a nation, we only focus on finding faults and shortcomings in the past, we will never move forward,” he added.
At the same event, KH Arif Fahrudin, Deputy Secretary General of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and a prominent NU figure, stated that Soeharto and Gus Dur (Abdurrahman Wahid) both made great contributions in their respective eras and fields.
“These two figures represent two very different situations, but within the same national framework,” he said.
He added that a nation that fails to appreciate the services of its predecessors will lose its direction.
“If we do not know how to appreciate the contributions of our founding heroes or anyone who has served the country, then we will not know how to be grateful for this nation’s existence,” he emphasized.
According to him, honoring the contributions of Soeharto and other national figures is a form of gratitude and a moral foundation toward achieving Indonesia Emas 2045 (Golden Indonesia 2045). (*)
