Sjahrir's political vision still relevant, says Jakob

JAKARTA (JP): The political vision and social commentary of the late Sutan Sjahrir, Indonesia's first prime minister, remain relevant in this reform era, a senior journalist has said.

Jakob Oetama said in a discussion on Friday that despite his Marxist thoughts, Sjahrir -- who promoted "democratic socialism" in Indonesia and led the disbanded Indonesian Socialist Party from 1949 through 1959 -- expressed many "good ideas" which were still relevant in the current reform movement to return people's sovereignty.

"Sjahrir outspokenly criticized the corrupt bureaucracy, opposed the fascism introduced by the Dutch and Japanese colonial governments and was against racism," Jakob said at the launching of Guru Bangsa (The Nation's Teacher), marking what would have been Sjahrir 90th birthday.

Sabam Siagian, former Indonesian ambassador to Australia, and political observers Deliar Noer and A. Rachman Tolleng also spoke at the event, which was officially opened by Sjahrir's daughter Siti Rabiyah Parvati.

Jakob said Sjahrir's vision could still be implemented in the campaign to bring Indonesia to true democracy following 32 years of authoritarian and repressive New Order administration.

"The ongoing reform movement is similar with the one led by Sjahrir (when) youth organizations strove to (correct) the (distorted) democracy," he said.

He said Sjahrir hated racism and riots incited by the Dutch and Japanese colonial governments to divide and conquer the country. Sjahrir disliked the use of expressions such as jong Ambon, jong Manado or jong Betawi (youths of Ambon, Manado and Jakarta) for fear they could sow hatred among the nation's diverse people.

Jakob said that after independence in 1945, Sjahrir, who had his first brush with socialism during his studies in the Netherlands, paid serious attention to national education. He was the proponent of efforts to improve the quality of Indonesian human resources, and he led a youth movement to bring about social and political changes.

The movement was aimed at countering the proponents of a capitalistic economy, the bourgeois and feudalism and racism, Jacob said.

Sjahrir encouraged people, especially his socialist party's cadres, to launch a "revolutionary democracy," Jakob said.

Jakob said that despite his failure to implement such a democracy, Sjahrir was also well-known for his campaign for a strong and clean administration in a bid to improve Indonesia's international image.

Sjahrir proposed to Indonesia's founding president Sukarno the establishment of a legislative body and the appointment of a prime minister in order to build a strong government.

Sjahrir, born in Padangpanjang, West Sumatran, on April 5, 1909, studied law in the Netherlands.

He returned to Indonesia in 1931, and helped establish the Indonesian National Education Organization. He spent part of his life in exile. He was sent to the Boven Digul concentration camp in Irian Jaya and Banda Neira in 1934 and 1936 respectively.

Sukarno disbanded Sjahrir's political party in 1959 and placed him in jail. He died, still a prisoner, during a medical treatment trip to Switzerland in 1966.

Following his death, Sjahrir's name was rehabilitated by the then speaker of the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly Gen. (ret) A.H. Nasution. The government later conferred upon him the status of national hero. (rms)