PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Acting Governor of West Java, Bey Machmudin, received a visit from the family of the Governor of West Java for the 1970-1975 period, the late Lieutenant General TNI (ret.) Solihin Gautama Purwanegara, at the Pakuan State Building, Bandung City, Sunday (16/2/2025).

The visit was a nostalgic moment full of memories, remembering the figure who was familiarly called Mang Ihin and his leadership period which was remembered for its simplicity and high dedication.

Present on the occasion were Solihin GP's wife, Maryam Harmain, along with children and grandchildren. Mang Ihin's family was seen observing every corner of the Pakuan State Building which is full of history and memories.

A humble figure who is not dazzled by power

Yani Haryani Solihin, Mang Ihin's second daughter, said that her father was a very humble person and did not like luxury. That was the reason why their family only lived for a few months in Gedung Negara Pakuan and chose to return to a private residence in the Mundinglaya area, Bandung City.

"My father is a modest person, he doesn't like formalities. When we were here, he didn't stay long because the atmosphere was very quiet, there weren't even any street vendors selling meatballs passing by," said Yani.

"Finally, we returned to our private home in Mundinglaya, near Cikapayang, after living here for several months," he said.

Nevertheless, the Pakuan State Building is still optimally utilized for work purposes and receiving state guests. One of the historic moments was when the Queen of the Netherlands Juliana and Prince Bernhard visited in 1971 when Solihin GP served as Governor of West Java.

Historic Visit of the Queen of the Netherlands

In 1971, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard stayed at the Pakuan State Building during their state visit. According to Yani, the Queen of the Netherlands was very impressed by the beauty and elegance of the Pakuan State Building with its Indische Empire Stijl architectural style. In fact, Queen Juliana expressed her hope that the historic building would be maintained and preserved.

"This place used to only be used to receive guests and for work events. Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard once stayed here and were very impressed with the architecture," said Yani.

Inspiring Today's Generation

Acting Governor of West Java, Bey Machmudin, warmly welcomed the presence of the family of the late Lieutenant General TNI (ret.) Solihin Gautama Purwanegara and appreciated the opportunity to meet with the family of the figure who had rendered services to West Java.

"We are very grateful for the presence of the deceased's family. We heard many inspiring stories today, including the story of the Queen of the Netherlands who once stayed at the Pakuan Building," said Bey.

"Mang Ihin is a disciplined figure and also always wants the people of West Java to progress. That is what we must remember, that we must be enthusiastic about becoming advanced citizens, stories like that inspire us to build West Java into the most advanced province," he said.

Bey Machmudin also expressed his admiration for the simplicity of Solihin GP's life who did not want to change anything in the Pakuan Building during his term of office for the sake of budget efficiency.

"He did not want to change anything in the Pakuan Building because he was a waste of the budget, it would be better to use it for the benefit of the people. His life was very simple, but he was full of commitment to advancing the people of West Java," said Bey.

Through this moment of friendship, the noble values of Solihin GP's leadership are expected to inspire the next generation in building West Java into a more advanced and prosperous province.