Soepardjo Rustam

During the Indonesian National Revolution, Rustam became an adjutant to Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Sudirman, along with Tjokropranolo. Tjokropranolo, in writing Sudirman's biography, credited Rustam with a plot to distract Dutch attempts to capture Sudirman. Rustam split off from Sudirman's entourage and instead guarded a double, pulling away attention from the real Sudirman who continued to command Indonesian guerilla warfare.[2]

Rustam remained in the army after the end of the revolution. After Sudirman's death, he became adjutant to Armed Forces Chief of Staff Tahi Bonar Simatupang for a year.[3] In 1952, he was assigned to become Indonesia's military attache in the Netherlands. After this overseas posting, he became a staff officer at the army headquarters and led an army school before once more being posted abroad in 1959, this time as a military attache in Kuala Lumpur. Upon his return, he became an assistant to the army minister.[1]

During the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, due to his prior experience in Kuala Lumpur, Rustam assisted a secret effort by the Indonesian Army to maintain some relations with the Malaysian government, without the knowledge of the foreign ministry. This effort sought to find a compromise which would allow Sukarno to back down while saving face. Following the fall of Sukarno, this effort allowed Indonesia–Malaysia relations to normalize quickly.[4] Early in Suharto's presidency, Rustam first became the Director for Asia Pacific Affairs in the foreign ministry, before becoming ambassador to Yugoslavia in 1971 and to Malaysia in 1972.[1] During this period, he assisted the new foreign minister Adam Malik in preparing the groundwork for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.[5]

On 28 December 1974, at that time holding the rank of major general, Rustam was appointed as the acting Governor of Central Java.[6] Following a legislature vote on 17 April 1975, he became the full governor.[7] He was sworn in for a second term on 4 June 1980, having been promoted to lieutenant general.[8]

In the middle of his second term, Rustam was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in the Fourth Development Cabinet, and was sworn in on 19 March 1983.[9] In contrast to his predecessor Amir Machmud, who had significantly centralized the governance of the country, Rustam adopted a more decentralized view. According to contemporary East Nusa Tenggara governor Ben Mboi, Rustam made studies regarding a federal government system. Rustam had also ordered a review into a law on village governance passed during Machmud's ministership. This interest in decentralization apparently continued until his death.[10] The primary opposition party during Suharto's era, the Indonesian Democratic Party, encountered a organizational deadlock in its 1986 congress. The congress eventually opted to leave the selection of its leader to Rustam, and he appointed the government-approved candidate Suryadi to become the new party leader.[11] Rustam became the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare in the Fifth Development Cabinet, starting on 23 March 1988 and serving until 17 March 1993.[12]