THE FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHER OF INDONESIA
Indonesia has a long history of development. One era in history that was very prominent in shaping the Indonesia we know and love today was the Revolution era in which Indonesia achieved its independence as a conclusion. What this means is that Indonesia has a lot of national heroes as well as founding fathers that played a vital role for the country’s independence. Nevertheless, when we are asked about national heroes or founding fathers, what most of us would probably answer is Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta. But have you ever heard of this one founding father that is rarely mentioned in our Indonesian history books? The person that I am referring to is Tan Malaka.
Tan Malaka was born with the name Sutan Ibrahim on the 2nd of June 1987 in West Sumatera, Indonesia. His name, Tan Malaka, that we are familiar with was taken from his title Datuk Tan Malaka which was given to him in a traditional ceremony at the age of 16. Tan Malaka was raised in a privileged family and had a royal bloodline that was passed down from her mother. Even so, Tan Malaka never acted as if he was better than everyone else. On the contrary, he criticized many educated youths of that time. In one of his most famous book Madilog (Materialisme, Dialektika, dan Logika), he said that if the youths that were educated think so highly of themselves and look down on the people who live simple lives with simple dreams, then it is better if that education was never given at all.
Tan Malaka was one of the revolutionary founding fathers of Indonesia. He was also given the nickname “the Father of the Republic of Indonesia.” This nickname was given to him as he was the first person to come up with the concept of Indonesia as a state which was stated in his book Naar de Republiek Indonesia in 1924. The concept of Indonesia as a state that Tan Malaka had made preceded the concept that was made by both Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta. Tan Malaka’s efforts to fight for Indonesia’s independence were substantial. He led worker strikes as well as a party to fight off against the Dutch during the colonial years. Tan Malaka was a revolutionary hero that was strongly against imperialism and colonialism.
However, it is sad that Tan Malaka’s merits are seldom mentioned in our Indonesian history books. This is because Tan Malaka was a left-wing national hero that was affiliated with the Communist Party of Indonesia. During the New Order era, anything that was considered as left-wing politics was strictly forbidden. Even so, we must never forget all the services that past heroes have done for the country.
References
Adryamarthanino, V. (2021, May 12). Tan Malaka: Masa Muda, Perjuangan, Peran, dan Akhir Hidupnya. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from Kompas.com: https://www.kompas.com/stori/read/2021/05/12/163657379/tan-malaka-masa-muda-perjuangan-peran-dan-akhir-hidupnya?page=all
Mukhaer, A. A. (2021, June 3). Tan Malaka, Bangsawan dari Tanah Minang yang ‘Bunuh Diri Kelas’. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from National Geographic Indonesia: https://nationalgeographic.grid.id/read/132722375/tan-malaka-bangsawan-dari-tanah-minang-yang-bunuh-diri-kelas?page=all
Shalihah, N. (2021, February 21). Mengenang Tan Malaka dan Perjalanan Hidupnya… Retrieved July 30, 2021, from Kompas.com: https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2021/02/21/110400765/mengenang-tan-malaka-dan-perjalanan-hidupnya-?page=all
Tim Detikcom. (2021, June 3). Sosok Tan Malaka dan Kisah Perjuangan Hidupnya sebagai Pahlawan Nasional. Retrieved July 30, 2021, from Detik.com: https://www.detik.com/edu/detikpedia/d-5592313/sosok-tan-malaka-dan-kisah-perjuangan-hidupnya-sebagai-pahlawan-nasional