Indonesian Official Distributes Rp30 Billion to Prevent People's Suffering
Amid the economic pressures resulting from the Dutch Military Aggression in 1947, Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX took an unconventional step. The figure of the king, also known as one of the richest people in Indonesia at the time, was willing to sacrifice his personal wealth to help the Yogyakarta community plagued by poverty.
Although the total amount of his assets is not precisely documented, history records him as a generous figure who frequently channelled his wealth for the benefit of the people. Sultan Hamengkubuwono’s wealth largely stemmed from inheritance and the feudal system prevailing in the kingdom’s territory.
In the early days of independence, he is recorded to have donated 6.5 million guilders to the government and 5 million guilders to the community affected by economic hardships. That amount is estimated to be equivalent to around Rp20-30 billion today.
Despite having much money and a life full of honour, Sultan Hamengkubuwono was not swayed. Many people noted his habit of living without flaunting his riches.
In the book Tahta untuk Rakyat: Celah-Celah Kehidupan Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX (1982), he is recorded to have once bought cart ice from a roadside vendor in front of Klender Station, Jakarta, in 1946.
At that time, the weather was extremely hot, and the Sultan needed a refreshing drink. He could have gone to a restaurant and indulged there, but he refused and chose to drink ice on the roadside.
Additionally, Sultan Hamengkubuwono once became a rice transport truck driver. This story began when the Sultan drove his Land Rover truck from the countryside to the city centre.
Midway, he was stopped by a female rice seller. The woman wanted to join to the city market. She even directly asked the driver to help load the rice onto the truck.
Everything happened just like that without knowing that the person she was riding with was the King of Java. Sultan Hamengkubuwono immediately complied and lifted two large sacks onto the truck.
In the autobiography of Pranoto Reksosamodra titled Catatan Jenderal Pranoto Reksosamodra (2015), it is recounted that during the journey, the rice seller and Sultan Hamengkubuwono chatted animatedly without knowing that the conversation was with the number one ruler.
Upon arriving at the market, Sultan Hamengkubuwono also performed the duties of an ordinary driver, namely unloading the sacks. Then, the rice seller gave him wages. However, Sultan Hamengkubuwono politely refused the payment and returned the money.
The rice seller reacted angrily. She was offended and thought the truck driver did not want to accept the money because the amount was too small.
Sultan Hamengkubuwono quickly left the rice seller. Meanwhile, the woman still could not accept the refusal and viewed the driver as arrogant and not needing money.
With her mouth continuously grumbling, someone finally informed the rice seller that the truck driver she had just berated thoroughly was actually Sultan Hamengkubuwana IX.
Upon hearing this, the rice seller was shocked and fainted, to the point of being taken to the hospital. The incident then reached Sultan Hamengkubuwono’s ears. Immediately, the Sultan drove his vehicle to the hospital and visited the rice seller.