MUHAMMAD HATTA

MUHAMMAD HATTA

Muhammad Hatta was born on August 12, 1902 in Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra, the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Muhammad Hatta was born to a mother named Siti Saleha and her father Muhammad Jamil. He is better known as Bung Hatta. Bung Hatta was born in a religious family, his grandfather was the founder of the mosque in Batuhampar area. The background of Bung Hatta's family was an entrepreneur, his mother was a successful businessman. Bung Hatta studied in various schools or educational institutions including Europese Largere School or ELS in New York City which is now named SMAN 1 Padang, Meer Uirgebreid Lagere (MULO) in Padang, and Handel Middlebare School, and the last in The Netherlands is called Netherland Handelsoge School. He also studied religion at the Indonesian campus such as Abdullah Ahmad, Muhammad Jamil and other campuses. This is what made him awarded as a doctor.

Muhammad Hatta was known as a hero who contributed to Indonesia's independence, he was known as Mr. Proclamation with Ir. Soekarno. Not only as the father of the proclamation, was Bung Hatta also active in political organizations. One of Indonesia's leading economists, Bung Hatta is known as the "Father of the Indonesian Cooperative Movement." His writing includes the Cooperative Movement in Indonesia (1957), "Indonesia between the Daya Block," Foreign Affairs, vol. 36 (1958), and Past and Future (1960). His role in politics began with his election as a jong sumatranen figure in Padang. Bung Hatta became the leader of preparations for independence on 17 August 1945 with Soekarno. However, on August 17, 1945 he and Sukarno were kidnapped by members of the student union and persuaded to declare Indonesian independence. In the next revolutionary government, Bung Hatta served as Deputy President. He served as vice president until December 1956. Then he resigned because of increasing disagreement with President Soekarno's "Guided Democracy" policy. Bung Hatta felt that Soekarno's policy would bankrupt this country. He also consistently criticized "anti-Western" and "anti-Malaysian" foreign policy made by Soekarno. 

Bung Hatta also collaborated with Sukarno in establishing various Indonesian mass organizations. In 1943 they helped to organize the Japanese sponsored home defense corps “Sukarela Tentara Pembela Tanah Air” (PETA). This is the first armed forces in Indonesia. In 1948 when he became prime minister, he played an important role in suppressing the communist rebellion in Madiun, East Java. He led the Indonesian delegation at the United Nations-sponsored Hague Conference (August 23 - November 2, 1949) which culminated in the recognition of full Dutch independence by Indonesia. While serving as prime minister for the first seven months in 1950, he helped guide the new country through an important transition period from the federal to the United States. Bung Hatta died on March 14, 1980 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Source:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mohammad-Hatta

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