Candra Malik & Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – East Java's deputy governor Syaifullah Yusuf expressed disappointment over the government's decision not to include the late President Abdurrahman Wahid in the National Heroes Day announcement on Thursday. Yusuf had nominated the late president for national hero on behalf of the people of Jombang and East Java.

Known popularly as Gus Dur, Wahid was a champion of democracy and pluralism, a Jombang local who died at the age of 69. He was Indonesia's fourth president and the first to be elected head of state after the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998.

"I do not know on what basis the board took the decision to grant a certain nomination and reject ours. I would like to know the criteria so I can explain it to my constituency," he said. Syaifullah called on the public to be patient with the government's decision.

"We submitted a nomination and met all of the requirements. We hope that Gus Dur will become a national hero next year," he said.

Allisa Qatrunnada Wahid, Gus Dur's eldest daughter, said the title of national hero from the government is not a crucial matter. "No need to overreact. For us, the appreciation of the people means so much more. Tens of thousands of people came to [Gus Dur's] funeral and every day thousands of pilgrims pray at his tomb," she said.

The family is more concerned about efforts to continue Gus Dur's ideas in struggling for pluralism and humanity than disputing the title of national hero.

Some Jakartans also expressed disappointment that Gus Dur was left out of the announcement on Thursday.

"He deserves the national hero title," Indri Sejati, a young woman working in a private company said. "Gus Dur was a progressive Muslim role model who was not narrow-minded like the majority of other Muslim figures."

Civil servant Dian Hardjairana was also hoping for the former Nahdlatul Ulama chairman to be named national hero. "He was a leader of pluralism in the country," she said.

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, Masdar Masudi, said the organization is not too concerned with the omission of Gus Dur in the national hero announcement. "Acknowledgment of his services by the ummat (Muslim congregation) is much more important than the national hero title," he said.