'Hatta's positive legacy should be revived'<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After decades of living under and watching overindulgent and
\nuntrustworthy politicians, Indonesians seem to have forgotten
\nthat they once had a true gentleman leading this country.<\/p>\n
The gentleman, who had indisputable integrity, was Mohammad
\nHatta, or Bung Hatta, who passed away on March 14, 1980.<\/p>\n
When his political rift with Sukarno became more intense, he
\ndecided in 1957 to relinquish peacefully his position as vice
\npresident after 12 years of service to the country.<\/p>\n
Politicians these days would have concocted a plan to
\noverthrow their political rival instead of walking out as a
\ngentleman.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want people to forget that Bung Hatta was also a
\nfounding father of the nation. We want to promote his legacy of
\ngood values to present generations,\" Asbon Budinan Haza, a
\nchairman of Indonesian Artists Cooperative, said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Asbon's cooperative initiated a stage performance in which
\nprominent figures from Governor Sutiyoso to veteran journalist
\nRosihan Anwar recited poems and gave speeches.<\/p>\n
\"We are not forming a 'Hatta cult' here. We just want to
\nrevive his ideas and virtues, like his integrity with respect to
\npeople,\" Asbon added. \"Besides, Hatta is the father of Indonesian
\ncooperatives, so it is as a cooperative that we want to honor
\nhim.\"<\/p>\n
In a five-minute speech, Rosihan told the audience that Hatta
\nwas a man of his word.<\/p>\n
\"When he was a university student in the Netherlands he always
\ntold his Indonesian compatriots not to drink alcohol and never to
\nfool around with girls,\" Rosihan said.<\/p>\n
\"One day his friends tried to test him by asking a beautiful
\nPolish student to have a date with him,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The student reported the next day that nothing happened during
\nthe date, he added.<\/p>\n
\"That was Hatta. He did what he said,\" said Rosihan.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, Sutiyoso took the stage and recited, in his words,
\n\"the shortest poem about Hatta that I could find.\"<\/p>\n
Besides Rosihan and Sutiyoso, prominent figures like Hatta's
\ndaughter State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Farida
\nHatta Swasono, veteran lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, writer Remy
\nSilado, and actor Deddy Mizwar took turns on the stage to recite
\npoems and give short speeches.<\/p>\n
The artist cooperative will also organize a poetry-reading
\ncontest for members of cooperatives in greater Jakarta.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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