Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah, Indonesia's Unrecognized National Hero

Monday, 13 December 2021 – 16:32 GMT+7
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan inaugurated the restoration of the tomb of Sultan Muhammad Alaidin Daud Syah at Utan Kayu public cemetery, East Jakarta, Monday (13/12) / Credit: ANTARA, Yogi Rachman

jpnn.com, JAKARTA - The Jakarta administration is currently restoring the tomb of Sultan Muhammad Alaidin Daud Syah at the Utan Kayu public cemetery, Rawamangun, East Jakarta.

Sultan Alaidin Daud Shah was the last sultan of Aceh.

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Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said that the restoration of the tomb, which had started in October, cost Rp 2.1 billion.

He hoped that the restoration of the tomb would become a tradition.

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"Hopefully, this restoration will keep traditions alive and give birth to warriors whose events will be recorded for decades, hundreds of years into the future," Anies said in East Jakarta, Monday.

Anies was greeted by the descendants of Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah.

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There were seven family graves of Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah that were restored by the Jakarta administration, through the Jakarta City Parks and Forests Agency.

On that occasion, Anies was given a Meukeutop Aceh skullcap and a siwah, a traditional weapon typical of the Earth Veranda of Mecca, from representatives of the family.

"Insya Allah [God willing], I will take care of this as well as possible. It's not just as an item but also a mandate and honor that we protect together," said Anies.

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One of the representatives of the family, Tengku Dian Anggraeni, admitted that she was happy with the restoration of the ancestral graves.

"We are very enthusiastic about this restoration because our grandfather's grave, the Sultan's tomb, has not been seen by the general public yet," said Tengku.

Dian hoped that the restoration could become a historical moment for the younger generation to learn.

She also hoped that in the future, the late Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah could be appointed as a national hero by the Indonesian government.

"Hopefully, it can be a lesson for our children that there are fighters whose names are not recorded as national heroes," said Dian.

Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah was born in 1871. He succeeded the position of Sultan Muhammad Alaidin Daudsyah and was appointed the sultan of Aceh at the Indrapuri Mosque in 1878.

During his reign, Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah strongly opposed the Dutch, who at that time had controlled the Kutaraja area.

The sultan even tore up the peace draft because he did not recognize Dutch rule.

Eventually, the Dutch exiled the sultan in 1907.

He died as a Dutch prisoner in Jakarta (formerly Batavia) on February 6, 1939, and was buried in Rawamangun. (antara/mcr20/jpnn)

This news has been broadcast on JPNN.com with the title: Sultan Alaidin Daud Syah, Pejuang yang Tak Tercatat Sebagai Pahlawan Nasional