Taufiq Kiemas
Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas was the Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly of Indonesia from 2009 until his death in 2013. Taufiq was the husband of Megawati Sukarnoputri, President of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004.
Taufiq married Megawati in 1973; it was Megawati's third marriage. Together they had a daughter, Puan Maharani. Megawati also had two sons from a previous marriage.
Taufiq joined with Megawati in active support of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, one of the leading political parties in Indonesia. As of 2008, Taufiq was the leader of the PDI-P's Muslim religious wing, the BMI. He was a well-known participant in PDI-P affairs, often commenting on national matters such as preparations for the 2014 legislative and presidential elections in Indonesia and sometimes differing with his wife on certain issues concerning the management and leadership of the party.
Taufiq had bypass surgery in Australia in 2000 and had been hospitalised on a number of occasions after the treatment.
His biography, Gelora Kebangsaan Tak Kunjung Padam which recounted both episodes of his life and his thoughts about various national issues, was launched in December 2012 to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Taufiq Kiemas died on 8 June 2013 in Singapore General Hospital, Singapore after a heart attack. The following day his body was flown back to Jakarta in an Indonesian Air Force Hercules cargo aircraft where he was given a full state funeral and buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery. The President of Indonesia, president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presided over the official ceremony which was attended by the senior members of Taufiq's family, the Indonesian Cabinet, and hundreds of leading political and national figures.
