Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced plans to award Bill Gates the country’s highest civilian honor, Bintang Republik Indonesia, in recognition of his contributions not only to Indonesia but also to global humanitarian efforts.
The announcement came during a meeting between President Prabowo and the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday morning, May 7.
President Prabowo said Bill Gates is highly deserving of Indonesia’s highest civilian honor, citing the consistent contributions made through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation towards the country.
He added that he plans to convene the state honors council soon to formally discuss the award proposal.
“I will convene the honorary council soon, because I want to bestow the nation’s highest award on a foreign national for his service to the people of Indonesia,” Prabowo said, as reported by Antara.
According to Indonesia’s Law No. 20 of 2009 on Titles, Decorations, and Honors, the Bintang Republik Indonesia is the most prestigious national honor.
President Prabowo Subianto said he intends to award Bill Gates Indonesia’s highest civilian honor in recognition of his significant contributions to both the country and humanity at large.
“I’ve already made my decision as President of the Republic of Indonesia,” Prabowo said. “It’s not just about his support for Indonesia, it’s about his service to humanity.”
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Prabowo states that Gates has provided extensive aid and funding to Indonesia since 2009. “He has donated a total of $159 million to the country, (equivalent to approximately Rp2.6 trillion),” said Prabowo
The funding includes $119 million for health-related initiatives, $5 million for agriculture, another $5 million for technology, and over $28 million for other cross-sectoral social programs
Given these contributions, Prabowo confirmed that the Indonesian government plans to present the prestigious Bintang Republik Indonesia medal to Gates. The honor is expected to be officially presented to Gates in New York City in September 2025.
(Raidi/Agung)
