Umar Wirahadikusumah

Umar Wirahadikusumah was an Indonesian politician and former army general, who served as the fourth Vice President of Indonesia, serving from 1983 until 1988. Previously, he was chair of the Audit Board of Indonesia from 1973 until 1983, and Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army from 1969 until 1973. He was born in Sumedang, West Java, to a noble Sundanese family. He studied law at Sriwijaya University and joined the Indonesian National Student Movement. He married his high school friend, Emma Norma, in 1951 and had three children. He entered the military in 1943, during the Japanese occupation. He would go on to serve in the Indonesian Army during and after the Indonesian National Revolution, seeing combat in the Madiun Affair and the PRRI rebellion. He left the army after being named Cabinet Secretary by Suharto in 1968. In 1970, he became the State Secretary, a position which allowed him to assist Suharto in the day-to-day running of the Government. In 1983, he was elected as the Chairman of Golkar, the ruling party. In 1988, he was elected as the Vice President of Indonesia, the highest position in the executive branch. He supported Suharto's policies and reforms, and advocated for democracy, human rights, and national unity. He also promoted the four pillars of the nation, namely Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and Unity in Diversity. He died in 2003 in Singapore, after suffering a heart attack. He was buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta with full state honors. He was widely respected and mourned by the Indonesian people and received tributes from many national and international leaders. He was also the subject of several books and documentaries that chronicled his life and achievements.