Prabowo Pays Tribute to Late Mother Through Orchid Naming Ceremony in Singapore
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Prabowo Subianto expressed heartfelt emotion during his state visit to Singapore, as he was given the distinct honor of naming a new orchid hybrid after his late mother, Dora Marie Djojohadikusumo-Sigar.
In his address at Singapore’s Parliament House on Monday, delivered during the inaugural Leaders’ Retreat between Indonesia and Singapore, President Prabowo described the moment as a deeply personal tribute and a significant gesture of recognition from the host country.
“I was deeply touched to be given the honor of naming a unique orchid,” the President said, as quoted by the Presidential Secretariat. “I was given the honor of proposing the name (for the orchid), and I chose my mother’s name as a tribute to her role in raising me — perhaps a rather difficult child in his early years, but who eventually became president of Indonesia,” he added, drawing warm smiles from attendees.
The ceremony forms part of Singapore’s longstanding tradition of Orchid Diplomacy, in which special orchid hybrids are named to honor visiting heads of state and other distinguished guests. The event was attended by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and senior officials from both nations.
President Prabowo’s late mother, Dora Marie Sigar, was of Minahasan and German descent and played a prominent role in Indonesia’s education, social, and political spheres. Educated in the Netherlands, she became a post-surgical specialist nurse and met her future husband, renowned economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, during her studies abroad.
Known for her discipline and devotion, Dora raised her children in a household that upheld the values of Indonesia’s state ideology, Pancasila. She passed away on December 23, 2008, at the age of 87.
The orchid naming served as a poignant moment in President Prabowo’s visit, underscoring the close cultural and diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Singapore and reflecting the personal significance such state visits can hold beyond official agendas.
