Haji Agus Salim

Assalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Hello guys... Welcome back to my blog. Did you guys miss me? No? Ok, that’s fine for me. Sooo, today I’m going to tell you about our National Hero, Haji Agus Salim.

Haji Agus Salim was one of Indonesia’s founding fathers and prominent diplomats. He played a leading role in the creation of the Indonesian constitution in 1945 and served as Indonesia's Foreign Minister between 1947 and 1949.

Salim was born on October 8^th 1884 in Kota Gadang, Agam, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. His birth name was Mashudul Haq which means ‘defender of truth’.

In 1890, he began to study in Europeese Lagere School (generally only for Europeans) and graduated in 1897.  During that period, he also furthered his studies of Islam. In 1897, he studied at Hogere Burger School and he earned the highest rank of HBS, when he was 19 years old.

Salim was interested in studying medicine applied for a scholarship from the Dutch colonial government, but was refused. In respect of his mother's last wish, at the age of 22 he took a job at the Dutch consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His family expected him to study religious science from his uncle, Syaikh Ahmad Khatib.

In 1915, he joined Sarekat Islam under Tjokroaminoto's leadership and soon became second in command. Salim later replaced Tjokroaminoto after Tjokroaminoto's death in 1934.

In his hometown he opened a public school for native Indonesians, or Hollandsch Inlandsche School. Three years later, he worked as translator for the Landsdrukkerij in Batavia. In 1917 he also worked as Editor in Chief for the Neradja, and then as chief editor at Balai Pustaka. From 1917 to 1919, he became director of Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad, a Dutch-language newspaper.

In "Progress as a Property Case", published on October 11, 1917, Salim argued that the Dutch reason for denying Indonesian independence, the lack of economic advancement, was ignorant of human history, citing slavery as an example. As long as Indonesians lacked political rights and independence, he argued, they would never gain economic advancement. 

In the months preceding the proclamation of Indonesian independence, Salim was a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Indonesia Independence (BPUPKI) and the Committee of Nine that wrote the Jakarta Charter, which became the preamble to Indonesia's constitution, including the Pancasila philosopy.

After the failure of the Linggardjati Agreement with the Dutch in March 1947, a delegation chaired by Salim went to numerous Arabic countries to seek de jure recognition of Indonesia's independence. Facilitate by Salim's command of Arabic, they succeeded; Egypt recognized Indonesia's independence on June 10, 1947. Upon his return to Indonesia, Salim was hailed as an exemplary diplomat.

Salim was also a member of the Indonesian delegation to the United Nations Security Council session at Lake Success, New York under Prime Minister Syahrir.

During his political career, he served as foreign minister during Sjahrir II Cabinet, Sjahrir III Cabinet, Amir Sjarifuddin I Cabinet, Hatta I Cabinet, and Hatta II Cabinet.

Salim died on November 4, 1954. He then buried in Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta, thus becoming the first person to be interred there.

Salim has been described as the "Grand Old Man of the Indonesian Independence movement and veteran leader of Indonesian Islam". Soekarno described him as a "intellectual ulama", a leader combining Islamic science and Western teachings. Mohammad Hatta, called the Arabic de jure recognition of Indonesian independence Salim's greatest contribution to Indonesia.

Salim was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia in 1961. He also received the Satyalencana Peringatan Perjuangan Kemerdekaan on May 20, 1961 and the Bintang Mahaputera (level I) on August 17, 1960. One of the main roads in Jakarta is named after him.

That is all from me. Thank you for your attention. Wassalamu’alaikum Wr. Wb.

Sumber : Wikipedia