Jakarta. Indonesia is debating whether to grant former president Soeharto the title of national hero, as senior officials and political figures defend the legacy of the country’s long-serving leader despite criticism from human rights advocates.

Culture Minister Fadli Zon, who also chairs the state board that evaluates national decorations, said Wednesday that Soeharto meets the formal criteria, stating that the nomination is based on multi-layered academic review and public input, not mere political preference.

“All proposed names, including Soeharto, are the product of deep study by historians, academics, religious figures and activists,” he told reporters at the Presidential Palace. “From several layers of assessment, he meets the requirements.”

Soeharto ruled Indonesia for 32 years until the 1998 Asian financial crisis toppled his administration. His era, dubbed the New Order, is credited by supporters for economic stabilization, self-sufficiency in rice and major state-led development. But the period is also associated with severe censorship, the crushing of political opposition, systemic corruption, and unresolved allegations of human rights violations, including the mass killings of the mid-1960s and abuses in Aceh, Papua and East Timor.

Rights group KontraS has criticised the plan, citing those abuses. Fadli acknowledged the concerns, but framed them as part of a broader public conversation. “We take it as input, but we also look at the extraordinary services.”

The National Titles Council this year received 49 new and continued candidates for hero status, with 24 placed on the priority list. Final names for the 2025 batch have not yet been decided. Soeharto and former president Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), who had been repeatedly proposed in previous years, are again among the top names.

Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia, whose party was founded during Soeharto’s era and rose to dominant power under him, publicly backed the nomination. After meeting President Prabowo Subianto earlier this week, Bahlil said Golkar had formally submitted Soeharto’s bid as a national hero.

“We cannot forget what he did. He led this country for more than 30 years, stabilizing inflation, expanding jobs and achieving food and energy self-sufficiency,” Bahlil said on Thursday. He added that all former Indonesian presidents, including Gus Dur and B.J. Habibie, should eventually be considered for national hero status.

The government is expected to announce the 2025 national hero honorees ahead of Indonesia’s Heroes Day commemoration on Nov. 10, 2025.