President Awards Medals Of Honor To 55 Eminent Figures

Jakarta, Aug 13 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono bestowed medals of honor on 55 prominent figures for their meritorious services to the nation in various fields in a ceremony at the State Palace here on Wednesday. The presentation ceremony was part of a series of activities to commemorate the 69th anniversary of Indonesia`s Independence. The Mahaputera Adipradana Star medals were bestowed on 38 prominent figures: the spouse of Vice President Boediono Herawati Boediono, Chairman of the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Sidarto Danusubroto, Deputy Chairman of MPR Melani Leimena Suharli, Deputy Chairman of MPR Hajriyanto Y. Thohari, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, Deputy Chairman of MPR Ahmad Farhan Hamid, House Speaker R. Marzuki Ali, Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, Deputy House Speaker Pramono Anung, Deputy House Speaker Muhammad Sohibul Imam, Deputy House Speaker Taufik Kurniawan, former education minister Bambang Sudibyo, former religious affairs minister Muhammad Maftuh Basuni, former state enterprises minister Sofjan A. Djalil, former research and technology minister Kusmayanto Kadoman, former sports and youth affairs minister Adhyaksa Dault, and former public housing minister Yusuf Ashari. Other recipients were Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Chairul Tanjung, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, Governor of Bank Indonesia Agus Martowardoyo, Industry Minister M.S. Hidayat, Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan, Social Affairs Ministers Salim Segaf Al-Jufri, Communication and Informatics Minister Tiffatul Sembiring, Research and Technology Minister Gusti Mihammad Hatta, Cooperatives and SMEs Minister Syariffudin Hasan, Women`s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari, State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Azwar Abu Bakar, Least Developed Regions Minister Helmy Faisal Zaini, Minister of National Development Planning Armida Alisjahbana, former state enterprises minister Mustafa Abubakar, Chairman of the National Agrarian Agency (BPN) Hendarman Supandji, Attorney General Basrief Arief, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam, former National Police chief Retired General Timur Pradopo, Chairman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif, and member of the Presidential Advisory Council Ma`ruf Amin. Recipients of the Mahaputera Utama Star medals were South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin, West Papua Governor Abraham Octavianus Atururi, and President Director of BRI Sofyan Bashir. The Mahaputera Nararya Star medals were awarded to member of the State Audit Board (BPK) Hasan Bisri, BPK member Sapto Amal Damandari, former secretary of the secretariat ministry Lambock V. Nahattands, Chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Lukman Hakim, and social, education and health affairs activist Sri Rejeki Chasanah Soedarsono. The Jasa Utama Star medals were presented to East Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek Ishak and Chairman of the Financial and Development Supervisory Board (BPKP) Mardiasmo. President Yudhoyono also awarded the Jasa Nararya Star medals to State Employment Agency Eko Sutrisno, ultra marathon athlete Retired Colonel Surachman, peace activist priest Lipiyus Biniluk, diplomacy activists Nicholas Jouwe, Nicholas Simion Messet, Frans Albert Yoku, and HIV/AIDS activist Constant Karma.