The former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Willem Schermerhorn,\nonce offered an unusual assessment of one of Indonesia\u2019s future\ndiplomats, K.H. Agus Salim, who later served as the nation\u2019s third\nForeign Minister. Schermerhorn described Salim as a \u2018destitute\u2019\nindividual.<\/p>\n
This observation arose after Schermerhorn personally encountered\nSalim, a figure widely recognised as a master Indonesian diplomat. While\nSchermerhorn admired Salim\u2019s extraordinary linguistic abilities and his\nrespected presence in international negotiations, he noted that Salim\u2019s\nprivate life lacked the luxury typically associated with high-ranking\nstate officials.<\/p>\n
\u2018This very clever old man (Agus Salim) is a genius in the fields of\nlanguage, speaking, and writing perfectly, in at least nine languages,\nbut has one weakness: he lived in poverty throughout his life,\u2019\nSchermerhorn wrote in his diary, Het Dagboek van Schermerhorn<\/em>\n(1946).<\/p>\n This statement was grounded in reality. Although he served as Foreign\nMinister from 1947 to 1948 and acted as the face of Indonesia in various\ninternational forums, Agus Salim lived far from opulence. While\ndiplomats generally present themselves in fine attire to build an image\nbefore foreign envoys, Salim was indifferent to such matters. According\nto the book Agus Salim: Peran dan Sumbangsihnya bagi Indonesia<\/em>\n(2024), the suits he wore to official events often appeared worn, and\nhis hat was frequently an old item.<\/p>\n This simplicity was not due to a poor upbringing, as Salim was the\nson of a prosecutor during the Dutch colonial era. Instead, from a young\nage, he chose a modest lifestyle, eschewing luxury. He maintained this\nchoice even while holding high state positions. Throughout his life,\nSalim did not own a private home, preferring to live in rented houses\nand moving frequently from one location to another.<\/p>\n Historian Amrin Imran, in the book Perintis Kemerdekaan:\nPerjuangan dan Pengorbanannya<\/em> (1991), notes that during the 1920s,\nSalim lived in a rented house in the Tanah Tinggi area, where the roads\nbecame muddy during the rainy season. On other occasions, he stayed in\nthe homes of friends.<\/p>\n This commitment to simplicity lasted until his death on 4 November\n1954. Although he left no significant wealth, his services to the nation\nearned him immense state honours. The government decided to bury him at\nthe Kalibata Heroes Cemetery with a state funeral. According to\nHarian Merdeka<\/em> (5 November 19lar), Agus Salim was the first\nperson to be interred at TMP Kalibata, even before he was officially\ndesignated a National Hero.<\/p>\n The government also requested that all government offices and the\npublic fly flags at half-mast as a mark of respect. A day later,\nthousands of people accompanied Salim to his final resting place, with\nthe President, Vice President, and high-ranking officials present to pay\ntheir respects. In recognition of his contributions to Indonesia\u2019s\nindependence struggle and diplomacy, the government officially\ndesignated K.H. Agus Salim as a National Hero via Presidential Decree\nNumber 657 of 1961, issued on 27 December 1961.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dutch-prime-minister-reflects-on-indonesian-foreign-ministers-legacy-1780800200",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}