Image of man on train sparks Soeharto nostalgia

Doppelganger: Comparison pictures of former president Soeharto (left) and mystery man on a commuter train who bears a strong resemblance to the late strongman. (tribunnews.com/File).

It could be love, or it could be nostalgia.

Social media went abuzz last week when an image of an old man that looks like Soeharto, the country’s longest-serving president, appeared on Twitter.

The photo captured the man who was sitting on a priority seat in a commuter train from a distance. It first appeared on the Twitter handle of senior Kompas photographer Arbain Rambey, @arbainrambey, on May 30 — a post that, as of today, has been retweeted more than 900 times users and garnered over 500 likes.

Just like other memes that have circulated about Soeharto on social media, they were welcomed with jeers and cheers for the leader, who has often been called a dictator for his strong military grip and links to human rights abuses to keep his long tenure, also known as the New Order era.

Some said they missed Soeharto for “advancing the country”. Propelled by government officials during the New Order era, he was once dubbed Bapak Pembangunan (Father of Development).

A Twitter user who commented on the latest post on Soeharto, Paulus M. Pangau, said Soeharto was unlike today’s leaders who could only impoverish their people. Soeharto was a father of development who contributed a lot to the country.

Another user, @Dani_er, said Soeharto deserved to be remembered for his leadership. Only during his tenure “could the people feel safe, staple food prices be stable and the development run smoothly”.

Talks continued to speculate on the identity of the man on the picture. Some guessed he was Koeswali Somadihardja, 69, who was already known as Soeharto’s look-alike.