Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and former Vice President Boediono shared their memories of President BJ Habibie to mark 1,000 days since his death.

The event was hosted at the National Library Building here on Saturday.

Habibie was an extraordinary figure, a technologist with international achievements and reputation, Indrawati said.

“He also had extraordinary achievements in N250 invention and aviation technology, but he was asked to return to build Indonesia, he returned home,” she added.

She hailed him as a role model and recalled how he loved his wife, was a good father, and held strong religious values until the end of his life.

“Mr. Habibie is also an extraordinary persona towards Mrs. Ainun. It also inspires us all (as an example of how) to be a husband who loves his wife, (how to be) a father to his children, and a very religious person,” she remarked.

Former Vice President Boediono said Habibie was a national figure who was able to encourage the country’s economy during the reform era.

During his term as President, Habibie managed to take the gross domestic product from negative to surplus territory, post-reform.

“During the brief period of the development reform cabinet, the national economy began to (improve). The economy that was originally in free fall could be put on hold and turned around. If, in 1998, Indonesia’s domestic product shrank minus 13 percent, in 1999, it could grow again by plus 0.8 percent,” Boediono noted.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rahmat Gobel also voiced similar sentiments, saying Habibie believed that human resources quality and education were important factors for advancing Indonesia.

“In advancing Indonesia, for Mr. Habibie, the function (lied on) the quality of human resources. Indeed, this is very important in the industry. Before making quality products, (it) is (important) to build quality human resources,” Gobel stated.

The participants of the event included current and former officials, including former coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Aburizal Bakrie; former House speaker Akbar Tandjung; and former coordinating minister for economic affairs, Hatta Rajasa.

At the end of the event, science and technology activists were scheduled to visit the graves of BJ Habibie and Mrs. Ainun Habibie at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery.

Source: Antara News