Until 2011, 156 National Heroes had been appointed. How many does Indonesia actually need? Does General Soeharto deserve to be a National Hero? Is Gus Dur’s nomination being held ‘hostage’ by Soeharto? Why was Syafruddin Prawiranegara, allegedly involved in PRRI, finally appointed as hero in 2011? From the Catholics, why was Frans Seda’s nomination ‘crucified’ by I. J. Kasimo? There are ethnic Chinese heroes, but why are there no Arab descendants? Why was West Java province very enthusiastic in nominating Soekarno’s wife, Inggit Garnasih, as a National Hero, although Fatmawati, another of Soekarno’s wives, was already one?

What does this ‘race’ to national designation mean for Indonesian history and the current political contestation?