Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto was one among state dignitaries who paid tribute on Tuesday to the father of State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Budi Gunawan, who passed away the day before.
Prabowo joined President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani and Tourism and Creative Industry Minister Sandiaga Uno and former vice president Jusuf Kalla to pay tribute to Budi's father, Soedarno Hendroto, who died at the age of 91."I express my deepest condolences to the passing of Pak Budi Gunawan's father. May he rest in the best place by the Almighty," Prabowo said in a statement released on Tuesday.
Prabowo briefly met with Budi on Tuesday afternoon to express his sympathy to the intelligence chief's home in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.
Many have seen Budi as the instrumental figure in bringing Prabowo into the administration of President Jokowi.
He could be seen standing in the background as Prabowo and Jokowi delivered a public statement at a South Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station to announce the two politicians' partnership in the wake of the bitterly contested 2019 presidential election.
Following the announcement, President Jokowi enlisted Prabowo to serve as his defense minister in his current Cabinet.