Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Power that derives from leadership must\npossess high empathy for a leader to be willing to sacrifice for the\nwelfare of the people. Indonesia once had a leader who possessed strong\nempathy for his people.<\/p>\n
That quality of leadership belonged to Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX. He\nwillingly distributed Rp20 billion quite freely after seeing poverty\nspreading in 1947.<\/p>\n
The Richest Indonesian King at that time distributed money to the\npeople for four months because he saw still many people trapped in\npoverty and misery.<\/p>\n
During that period, the Dutch sought to re-occupy Indonesia, or the\nperiod of the Military Aggression. This struggle caused many people to\nsuffer. They became poorer and many even lost their homes.<\/p>\n
Civil servants also fared similarly. Since the Dutch arrival, they\npractically could not work and received no salaries, so families at home\ncould not eat. In such a state, the people faced two choices: remain\nloyal to Indonesia despite suffering or defect to the Netherlands and\nlive comfortably.<\/p>\n
This situation moved the Sri Sultan to provide assistance. Moreover,\nhe had previously urged everyone to give aid in difficult times.<\/p>\n
As a result, the Sri Sultan rushed to open the royal treasury and\ndistribute it to those in need. Dutch guilders were distributed to\npeople outside the kraton and were helped by his private secretary and\nother officials.<\/p>\n
In an interview with the author of Takhta untuk Rakyat: Celah-Celah\nKehidupan Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX (1982), he admitted not knowing how\nmuch money was distributed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh gak mungkin ingat. Ngambilnya saja sambil begini (sambil\nmenirukan gerakan orang yang mengambil barang dengan dua telapak tangan,\nseperti menyendok pasir dengan tangan),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Sultan distributed money not only to individuals, but also to\ninstitutions. The Army and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) received\ngrants from the Sultan\u2019s private funds, all used to drive out the Dutch\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
Although the Java king did not know the exact amount, Vice President\nMohammad Hatta remembered the figure, namely around 5 million guilders.\nThe amount of 5 million guilders is roughly Rp20 billion in today\u2019s\nmoney. When Sri Sultan distributed money, Hatta asked whether the state\nshould compensate the Sultan\u2019s entire wealth.<\/p>\n
However, Sri Sultan did not answer and demonstrated an attitude of\nselfless service to others. It is recorded that he spread money daily to\nthe people of Yogyakarta and the officials of the Sultanate for 3\u20134\nmonths.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps 3\u20134 months. At the end of the Dutch occupation of Yogya, the\ngoal was twofold. To prevent the people from supporting the Dutch and to\nhelp those in need, including our leaders\u2019 families,\u201d said the\nSultan.<\/p>\n
For the ruler of Yogyakarta, the 5 million guilders was only a small\nportion of his wealth. History records that he became one of the\nwealthiest people in Indonesia, acquiring wealth from inheritance and\nthe feudal system of the monarchy. Previously, he had donated 6.5\nmillion guilders to the government as the initial capital for the\nformation of Indonesia. The 6.5 million guilders is equivalent to Rp32\nbillion in today\u2019s money.<\/p>\n
(ayh\/ayh) Add as a preferred source on Google [Gambas:Video CNBC]<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesias-richest-king-distributes-rp20-billion-to-the-poor-1779545841", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }