Jakarta, IO – The government will award the national hero title to KH Ahmad Hanafiah, a cleric from Lampung known as the commander of “Laskar Golok”.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is said to be conferring the title to Ahmad Hanafiah’s heirs on Heroes’ Day (November 10), per CNNIndonesia, Thu (9/11).
Lampung Social Service Agency head Aswarodi said that the title was proposed by Lampung governor on March 23 and approved by Jokowi several months later.
With this awarding, it means that Lampung will have a second national hero after Raden Inten II. “After 36 years since 1987, now we one more national hero figure from Lampung,” said Aswarodi.
KH Ahmad Hanafiah was recognized for his role in defending the country’s sovereignty. He was a freedom fighter and influential cleric from Sukadana district, East Lampung, per Detikcom.
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He was born in Sukadana in 1905 as the eldest son of KH Muhammad Nur, head of the Istishodiyah, the first Islamic boarding school in Lampung.
Jokowi has also approved five figures from various other provinces in Indonesia to be named national heroes. They are M. Tabrani from East Java, Ratu Kalinyamat from Central Java, KH Abdul Chalim from West Java, Ida Dewa Agung from Bali and Bataha Santiago from North Sulawesi. (un)