Umar Wirahadikusumah
Umar Wirahadikusumah | |
---|---|
4th Vice President of Indonesia | |
In office 11 March 1983 – 11 March 1988 | |
President | Suharto |
Preceded by | Adam Malik |
Succeeded by | Sudharmono |
8th Chair of the Audit Board of Indonesia | |
In office 1973–1983 | |
President | Suharto |
Preceded by | Dadang Suprayogi |
Succeeded by | Mohammad Jusuf |
9th Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army | |
In office 25 November 1969 – 27 April 1973 | |
President | Suharto |
Preceded by | Maraden Panggabean |
Succeeded by | Surono Reksodimejo |
Personal details | |
Born | Soemedang, West-Java, Dutch East Indies | 10 October 1924
Died | 21 March 2003 Jakarta, Indonesia | (aged 78)
Resting place | Kalibata Heroes Cemetery |
Political party | Golkar |
Spouse |
Karlinah Djaja Atmadja
(m. 1957) |
Relatives | Agus Wirahadikusumah (nephew) |
Occupation | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Indonesia |
Branch/service | Indonesian Army |
Years of service | 1945–1973 |
Rank | General |
Unit | Infantry (Kostrad) |
Commands | |
Battles/wars | |
Service no. | 13761[1] |
Umar Wirahadikusumah (
After hearing about the kidnapping of six Generals and seeing unidentified troops occupying the Merdeka Square, Umar sent word to Kostrad Commander, Major General Suharto of the events that had just unfolded and requested his assistance. Umar accepted Suharto's decision to assume command of the Army and supported him in his efforts to crack down on the attempted coup, gaining great trust from Suharto. In 1967, Umar became Deputy Army Chief of Staff before finally becoming the Army Chief of Staff himself in 1969. In 1973, his active military career came to an end and he became the Chairman of the State Audit Board (BPK), a position which he would hold until 1973. In 1983, he was selected by Suharto to become vice president, a choice considered rather unexpected. As vice president, he combated corruption and held prayer services at the vice presidential palace. His term as vice president ended in March 1988 when he was replaced by Sudharmono. He died on 21 March 2003, due to heart and lung problems. His body was interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta.
Early life and education
Umar Wirahadikusumah was born in Situraja,
Military service
Pre-independence
In 1943, with Indonesia now under Japanese Occupation, Umar enlisted with youth groups operating under the supervision of the Japanese Occupational Government. These youth groups provided some physical training which Umar undertook. This was followed in October 1944 by PETA, an auxiliary force consisting of Indonesian recruits that was intended to assist the Japanese in fighting the Allies. When Indonesia declared its Independence, Umar, like many other youths of similar age joined the TKR (The People's Security Soldiers), the forerunner to the TNI.
After the
Post-independence
In 1959, Umar was trusted as the Commander of
Umar accepted Suharto's decision to assume command of the Army and supported him in his efforts to crack down on the attempted coup. Towards midday, Umar received a summon from President Sukarno who was suspicious at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, the place where the six Generals were taken. Suharto was worried that this was an attempt to get Umar to Halim and have him killed. Suharto firmly rejected the order. As Suharto retook control of the situation in Jakarta, Umar further consolidated it. He declared a curfew between 6 pm and 6 am and placed a watch on all of the city's newspapers.
When blame for the incident was beginning to be put on the
Vice Presidency
In March 1983, Umar reached the pinnacle of his career. Suharto, who had been elected for a 4th term as president by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) selected Umar to be his Vice President. This was considered to be a rather unexpected choice as Umar's stature in Indonesian politics paled in comparison to his two predecessors, Hamengkubuwono IX and Adam Malik. Despite being a low-key personality, Umar had a good reputation and was widely respected.
As Vice President, Umar became one of the very few in the Suharto regime who chose to combat corruption. As a religious man, Umar had hoped that religion could be used to turn corruptors to do the right deeds. Umar also conducted surprise inspections (sometimes incognito) of regional towns and villages to monitor how government policies were affecting the people. During his vice presidency, Umar also held prayer services at the Vice Presidential Palace. Umar's term as vice president ended in March 1988 when he was replaced by Sudharmono. Many were disappointed to see him not continue for a second term as vice president. It was a testament to his good reputation that Sudharmono wanted to be sure of Umar's acceptance to not continue as vice president for another term.[7]
Post-vice presidency
In May 1998, on the eve of Suharto's fall, Umar, together with Sudharmono and Try Sutrisno visited Suharto at his residence to discuss possible options. Umar died on 21 March 2003 due to heart and lung problems at 7:53 pm. at the Central Army Hospital (RSPAD) Gatot Subroto. He was interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, Jakarta.
Personal life
Umar married Karlinah Djaja Atmadja on 2 February 1957, with whom he had two daughters. Umar was also the uncle of Agus Wirahadikusumah, a reformist military officer who himself became Commander of Kostrad. His brother, Sadikin, was the father of Reini Wirahadikusumah, rector of Bandung Institute of Technology from 2020 until 2025 and was the first woman to hold the position.[8]
Honours
National honours
The following is a list of awards awarded to Umar by the Indonesian government:[9]
- Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 2nd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipradana) (12 March 1983)[10]
- Star of Mahaputera, 2nd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Mahaputera Adipradana) (19 May 1973)[11]
- Military Distinguished Service Star (Indonesian: Bintang Dharma)
- Guerrilla Star (Indonesian: Bintang Gerilya)
- Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 1st Class (Indonesian: Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Utama)
- Star of Jalasena, 1st Class (Indonesian: Bintang Jalasena Utama)
- Star of Bhayangkara, 1st Class (Indonesian: Bintang Bhayangkara Utama)
- Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 2nd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Pratama)
- Star of Jalasena, 2nd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Jalasena Pratama)
- Star of Bhayangkara, 2nd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Bhayangkara Pratama)
- Star of Kartika Eka Paksi, 3rd Class (Indonesian: Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Nararya)
- Indonesian Armed Forces "8 Years" Service Star (Indonesian: Bintang Sewindu Angkatan Perang Republik Indonesia)
- Military Long Service Medal, 24 Years Service (Indonesian: Satyalancana Kesetiaan XXIV Tahun)
- 1st Independence War Medal (Indonesian: Satyalancana Perang Kemerdekaan I)
- 2nd Independence War Medal (Indonesian: Satyalancana Perang Kemerdekaan II)
- Military Operational Service Medal for Madiun 1947 (Indonesian: Satyalancana G.O.M I)
- Military Operational Service Medal for Angkatan Ratu Adil 1947 (Indonesian: Satyalancana G.O.M II)
- Military Operational Service Medal for Jawa Barat 1959 (Indonesian: Satyalancana G.O.M V)
- "Sapta Marga" Medal (Indonesian: Satyalancana Sapta Marga)
- Northern Borneo Military Campaign Medal (Indonesian: Satyalancana Wira Dharma)
- Medal for Combat Against Communists (Indonesian: Satyalancana Penegak)
- Military Instructor Service Medal (Indonesian: Satyalancana Dwidya Sistha)
Foreign honours
The following is a list of awards awarded to Umar by foreign government:[12]
- Malaysia :
- Honorary Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) (1972)[13]
- Germany:
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Netherlands:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Yugoslavia:
- Second Rank of the Order of the People's Army with Golden Star
- United States:
- Commander of the Legion of Merit
- South Korea:
- First Class (Tong-il) of the Order of National Security Merit
Notes
- ^ Lembaga Pemilihan Umum (1978). Ringkasan Riwayat Hidup dan Riwayat Perjuangan Anggota Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Hasil Pemilihan Umum Tahun 1977. Vol. II.
- ^ D, Jajak M. (1990). Biografi presiden dan wakil presiden Republik Indonesia, 1945-sekarang (in Indonesian). Asri Media Pustaka.
- ^ a b Media, Kompas Cyber (21 March 2021). "Profil Wakil Presiden RI: Umar Wirahadikusumah (1983-1988) Halaman all". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Djarot, Eros; et al. (2006). Siapa Sebenarnya Soeharto: Fakta dan Kesaksian Para Pelaku Sejarah G-30-S PKI (in Indonesian) (1st ed.). Tangerang: PT Agromedia Pustaka. p. 19.
- ^ Anwar, Rosihan (22 March 2003). "In Memoriam: Jenderal Umar Wirahadikusumah". Kompas. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2006.
- ^ Sinjal, Daud (2 May 2001). "Gincu Luntur Anti-Korupsi". Aksara. Retrieved 30 October 2006.[dead link]
- ^ MIS (22 March 1997). "Sudharmono "Mengudara" Kembali". Tempo. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005. Retrieved 28 October 2006.
- ^ ITB, Webmaster Team, Direktorat Sistem dan Teknologi Informasi. "Pidato Pelantikan Rektor -". Institut Teknologi Bandung. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Indonesian Army Bureau of History 1981, p. 383.
- ^ Daftar WNI yang Menerima Tanda Kehormatan Bintang Republik Indonesia 1959 – sekarang (PDF). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Daftar WNI yang Mendapat Tanda Kehormatan Bintang Mahaputera tahun 1959 s.d. 2003 (PDF). Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Indonesian Army Bureau of History 1981, p. 384.
- ^ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
Further reading
- Indonesian Army Bureau of History (1981), Sejarah TNI-AD 1945—1973: Riwayat Hidup Singkat Pimpinan Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat, vol. XIII
External links
- Profile at TokohIndonesia Archived 27 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine (in Indonesian)
- Profile on pdat.co.id (in Indonesian)