Revolution and diplomacy During the
Indonesian National Revolution, Rustam became an adjutant to Indonesian Armed Forces Commander
Sudirman, along with
Tjokropranolo. Tjokropranolo, in writing Sudirman's biography, credited Rustam with a plot to distract Dutch attempts to capture Sudirman. Rustam split off from Sudirman's entourage and instead guarded a double, pulling away attention from the real Sudirman who continued to command Indonesian guerilla warfare. Rustam remained in the army after the end of the revolution. After Sudirman's death, he became adjutant to Armed Forces Chief of Staff
Tahi Bonar Simatupang for a year. In 1952, he was assigned to become Indonesia's military attache in the Netherlands. After this overseas posting, he became a staff officer at the army headquarters and led an army school before once more being posted abroad in 1959, this time as a military attache in
Kuala Lumpur. Upon his return, he became an assistant to the army minister. Early in Suharto's presidency, Rustam first became the Director for Asia Pacific Affairs in the foreign ministry, before becoming ambassador to
Yugoslavia in 1971 and to
Malaysia in 1972. Following a legislature vote on 17 April 1975, he became the full governor. He was sworn in for a second term on 4 June 1980, having been promoted to
lieutenant general. In the middle of his second term, Rustam was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in the
Fourth Development Cabinet, and was sworn in on 19 March 1983. In contrast to his predecessor
Amir Machmud, who had significantly centralized the governance of the country, Rustam adopted a more decentralized view. According to contemporary
East Nusa Tenggara governor
Ben Mboi, Rustam made studies regarding a federal government system. Rustam had also ordered a review into a law on village governance passed during Machmud's ministership. This interest in decentralization apparently continued until his death. The primary opposition party during Suharto's era, the
Indonesian Democratic Party, encountered a organizational deadlock in its 1986 congress. The congress eventually opted to leave the selection of its leader to Rustam, and he appointed the government-approved candidate
Suryadi to become the new party leader. Rustam became the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare in the
Fifth Development Cabinet, starting on 23 March 1988 and serving until 17 March 1993. ==Death==