On the authority of Johannes Latuharhary, Sapija and other Indonesian historians, Matulessy was declared a pahlawan nasional (national hero) in 1973 not under his name, but under the authoritative title Kapitan Pattimura.
Matulessy's status as a national hero was confirmed by Indonesian historians Johannes Latuharhary and Sapija in 1973, but he was recognized under the prestigious title of Kapitan Pattimura instead of his personal name.