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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Chair of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Neng Eem Marhamah Zulfa, said that Indonesia’s 4th President, Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, deserves the title of national hero for his efforts to establish Chinese New Year as a public holiday.
At that time, she said, Gus Dur issued Presidential Decree (Keppres) No. 6 of 2000, which withdrew a Presidential Instruction from Indonesia’s 2nd President, Soeharto, regarding Religion, Beliefs, and Chinese Customs, one of which prohibited the celebration of Chinese New Year.
This initiative was later continued by Indonesia’s 5th President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, who officially designated Chinese New Year as a national holiday.
"Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2000, issued by President Abdurrahman Wahid, shows that Gus Dur was a figure who stood for pluralism and tolerance in Indonesia," said Neng Eem in Jakarta on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, as quoted by Antara.
Neng Eem said that Gus Dur’s efforts regarding Chinese New Year align with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which said that every individual has the right to practice their religion and worship according to their beliefs and that the state guarantees the freedom of every citizen to adhere to their faith and beliefs.
According to her, the presidential decree that withdrew the ban on Chinese New Year celebrations has shown that Indonesia is a tolerant nation. Besides allowing Chinese New Year celebrations and the lion dance (Barongsai), she said that President Abdurrahman Wahid’s decree has erased the terms "pribumi" (indigenous) and "non-pribumi" (non-indigenous).
During Gus Dur’s era, Confucianism, which was widely practiced by the Chinese-Indonesian community, was also officially designated as a religion in Indonesia.
Due to President Gus Dur’s contributions, the PKB faction in the MPR RI is currently preparing all the requirements for him to be officially designated as a national hero.
The member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) also said that Gus Dur was honored with the title "Father of the Chinese-Indonesian Community" in 2004. This title was awarded to him for withdrawing the presidential instruction that had prohibited Chinese New Year celebrations.
"The celebration of Chinese New Year today also serves as a reminder that Gus Dur deserves the title of national hero. Moreover, on September 25, 2024, the MPR RI officially revoked MPR Decree No. II/MPR/2001 regarding Gus Dur’s dismissal as President of the Republic of Indonesia," said Neng Eem.
PKB and Interfaith Leaders Propose Gus Dur as a National Hero
Previously, the Vice Chair of the MPR, Rusdi Kirana, is working on awarding the title of national hero to Indonesia’s 4th President, Abdurrahman Wahid. He said the administrative process for Gus Dur to be officially designated as a national hero is ongoing.
The PKB politician said that, besides being advocated by his party, several figures from various religious groups and interfaith organizations are also pushing Gus Dur as a national hero soon. "PKB will certainly continue to fight for Gus Dur to be officially declared a national hero, even though in our hearts, Gus Dur is already a hero," said Rusdi at a national fellowship event at the MPR building on Friday night, December 13, 2024.
In the dialogue event attended by various figures from different religious groups, Rusdi said Gus Dur's efforts in defending minority groups during his leadership. According to him, the grandson of the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) would not have sought the title of a hero for his work in promoting pluralism in Indonesia.
"However, the push for this recognition is inevitable. What Gus Dur did will be even more memorable and inspiring if he is officially designated as a national hero, and it will become more widely known, especially among the younger generation," he said.
After providing testimonies about Gus Dur, the speakers present at the dialogue event signed a recommendation letter for the hero title. When asked about the process of submitting the hero title for Gus Dur, Rusdi said it is still being processed.
He hopes that Gus Dur's national hero title could be officially established in time for the independence commemoration in August 2025. "Hopefully, by next year’s Independence Day, it will be completed," he said.
Nandito Putra and Antara contributed to the writing of this article.
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