Kemal Idris

Indonesian general

Kemal Idris
Born	(1923-02-10)10 February 1923 Singaraja, Bali, Dutch East Indies
Died	28 July 2010(2010-07-28) (aged 87) Jakarta, Indonesia
Allegiance	Indonesia
Service/branch	Indonesian Army
Years of service	1942–1972
Rank	Lieutenant General
Unit	Infantry
Spouse(s)	Ny. Herwinoer Bandriani Singgih
Children	3

Ahmed Kemal Idris (10 February 1923 – 28 July 2010) was a prominent Indonesian Army general during the 1950s and 1960s. He was an Indonesian guerrilla leader during the Indonesian National Revolution, who in 1949 was involved in continued resistance to the Dutch forces after they occupied Yogyakarta.

Poncke Princen, the Dutch soldier who went over to the guerrillas, served under Idris's command.

Idris participated in the 17 October 1952 affair in which a group of Indonesian Army officers staged a failed coup attempt that would have forced the dissolution of the People's Representative Council (DPR, the parliament) and put President Sukarno as the supreme leader of Indonesia.^[1] Due to his actions, Idris failed to receive any significant promotion within the Army for 13 years.^[1]

In 1965–1966, Idris was chief of staff of the Strategic Reserve Command (KOSTRAD) and had an important role in the overthrow of Sukarno and the rise of General Suharto to power.^[2]

Nevertheless, by 1980 Idris had a falling out with Suharto. He was part of a group of senior Indonesian retired generals and politicians to signed a petition highlighting their concerns against Suharto's increasing authoritarian rule. This group was later known as the Petisi 50 group, highlighting the number of its signatories.^[1]

As a result of his involvement with Petisi 50, Idris and his colleagues were sidelined and isolated by the Suharto government. Nevertheless, he set up a waste collection company in Jakarta, earning him the nickname of jenderal sampah ("waste general").^[1]

Idris died in Jakarta on 28 July 2010, due to complications from pneumonia.^[3]

Honour

Foreign honour

Malaysia:
- Honorary Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) - Tan Sri (1972)^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Obituary: Dissident 'waste general' Kemal Idris dies". The Jakarta Post. 29 July 2010. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010.
^ John Bresnan, "Managing Indonesia – The Modern Political Economy", Ch. 2., Columbia University Press, New York, 1993
^ "Former Army general, govt critic Kemal Idris dies". The Jakarta Post. 28 July 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010.
^ "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".