Megawati's First Husband's Birthday Marked by Flower Ceremony, Prayers

The first birthday of Captain Anumerta Surindro Supjarso, the first husband of Indonesian politician Megawati Soekarnoputri, was marked with remembrance ceremonies. Jajaran DPD PDI Perjuangan Jakarta held a flower-scattering ceremony at sea in the Thousand Islands, followed by a tahlil and Surah Yasin recitation by PP Baitul Muslimin Indonesia (Bamusi) at Masjid At-Taufiq in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta.

Surindro Supjarso, born July 5, 1943, died on January 22, 1970, when the Skyvan T-701 aircraft he piloted crashed in Biak waters, now Papua. According to PDI Perjuangan Chairman Ahmad Basarah, if Surindro were alive, he would be 83 years old. A graduate of the Air Force Military Academy, he served as a pilot for bomber aircraft.

Basarah recounted that Surindro married Megawati on May 27, 1968, a year after the New Order regime's coup against Sukarno. He emphasized that Surindro married Megawati out of great love, at a time when few political figures dared to associate with Sukarno's family. Their marriage produced two sons, Moh. Rizki Pratama and Muhamad Prananda Prabowo.

Surindro and the seven other crew members aboard the aircraft were never found after the crash. Ahmad Basarah, representing Megawati's extended family, expressed gratitude for the prayers and sympathy. KH Zuhri Yaqub MA, during the tahlilan, described Surindro as a good person, evidenced by his continued remembrance and prayers after death, hoping his positive story would be known by future generations.