REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The final departure of Taufiq Kiemas, Chairman of Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), leaves a number of stories and memories for people who have been present during his lifetime.

Among the most memorable stories, there's a story with his wife, the former President of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarno Putri, who was also the daughter of the late first president, Soekarno. Dusi, Kiemas' sister, said that his brother wanted to marry Megawati since sixth grade at elementary school.

"I remember, when he said, 'I want to marry Megawati'. He was still at sixth grade at that time," Dusi said in Kiemas' funeral at Heroes Cemetery of Kalibata in Jakarta on Sunday.

Days, months and years go by. Kiemas and Megawati finally met in July 1971 in a visit to Soekarno's grave, Megawati's father, in Blitar, East Java. 

At that time, Kiemas accompanied by Guntur Soekarno Putra, Megawati' s younger brother. Guntur introduced Kiemas to Megawati, she was a widow then.

The tall and good looking Kiemas successfully stole Megawati's attention. Kiemas did not mind that Megawati had already had two children from her previous marriage, Mohammad Rizki Pratama (Tamtam) and Mohammad Prananda (Nanan). Kiemas and Megawati tied the knot in March 1973. In 1974, was born a daughter who was later named Puan Maharani. 

Kiemas rose to prominence after reformation era in 1998. He became a member of House of Representative since 2009 and installed as the chairman of MPR at the same year. He passed away at 6.05 pm at General Hospital in Singapore on Saturday. 

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