Indonesia For The Indonesians

SENAYANPOST - In 2002, the Indonesian political elite amended the 1945 Constitution, thereby turning Indonesia into a liberal country akin to the democratic system embraced by the United States and Western capitalist countries.

The amended Article 6 Paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution, which originally stated that the President is a native Indonesian, who together with the Vice President is elected by the MPR (People’s Consultative Assembly), says that Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates must be Indonesian citizens since birth, with additional clarifications provided.

The political elites who drafted the 2002 amendment ignored the fact that Indonesia had never followed the principle jus soli, which bases citizenship on one's land of birth. This amendment potentially enables unpatriotic citizens from among those with foreign parents who migrated to Indonesia in waves to become candidates.

As a result, multiculturalism could occur, disrupting the process of regional cultural acculturation, a process which would normally lead to Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or Unity in Diversity among the indigenous people. This amendment to the 1945 Constitution, which was not preceded by securing the public’s approval through a referendum, resulted in the emergence of liberal democratic euphoria, eventually leading to the passing of a new law in 2008.

Law Number 40 of 2008 regarding the elimination of racial and ethnic discrimination has been misused by several members of the Indonesian Arab community to carry out racist acts directed against indigenous Indonesians. One of the more phenomenal instances was a public statement saying that studying religion under an ignorant Habib is better than studying under seventy pious Kyai.

Habib is a term for people of Arabic ethnicity who claim to be of a higher rank than the Kyai, who are native religious scholars. One of their leading figures made a racist statement in public regarding the message of the late President Sukarno, the proclaimer of national independence and the Great Leader of the Indonesian Independence Movement, who said that you do not need to be an Arab to be a Muslim. This Habib spoke strongly against this statement, saying that Muslims must love the Arabs.

The current President, who was directly elected by the Indonesian people, has also been insulted, being called stupid. The Minister of Religious Affairs was also insulted. He was called misguided and insolent. The presidential palace was referred to as the devil's palace. Such racist and provocative behavior has spread among a section of the Indonesian Arab community. They have strongly proposed that Sultan Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie II, a Major General of the Dutch military and Special Aide to the Queen of the Netherlands, be named a national hero.

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was the only ruler in the world during the post-World War II decolonization process who did not agree with Indonesian independence in 1945. Major General Sultan Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie was a high-ranking Dutch army officer who approved of the Dutch carrying out an armed aggression against Indonesia in 1947. After national independence, the indigenous people, who had been called inlander during the Dutch colonial era, and were likened to dogs, had the right to demand an “Indonesia for the Indonesians”.

Individuals from the Indonesian Arab community have covered up that dark historical fact about Sultan Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie II, and have attempted to bolster his image, saying he designed the national Bhinneka Tunggal Ika coat of arms. Sultan Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie II did win a competition. This design was then processed by the State Coat of Arms Committee, with the final result being very different from the initial design. The State Coat of Arms Committee, which was formed on January 10, 1950, consisted of Mohammad Yamin as Chairman, with Ki Hajar Dewantoro, MA Pellaupessy, Mohammad Natsir and RM Ngabehi Poerbatjaraka as its members.

At that time, Sultan Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie II was a figure appointed by the Sukarno-Hatta duumvirate as a Minister without portfolio in the Cabinet of the United States of Indonesia or RIS in 1949. A Minister without portfolio was a Minister who did not lead any Ministry, and only carried out duties according to orders from the President of RIS. These duties would vary from time to time.

The United States of Indonesia was the form of the state which resulted from the Round Table Conference, which was held from August 23 to November 2, 1949 at The Hague in the Netherlands. It was attended by representatives from the UN acting as a mediator, the Republic of Indonesia, the Netherlands, and the BFO or Bijeenkomst voor Federal Overleg, namely the federal system in Indonesia created by the Netherlands.

The UN was the mediating party, represented by the UNCI or United Nations Commission for Indonesia, which was chaired by Chritchley. The Dutch side was chaired by JH van Maarseven. The Indonesian side was chaired by the Vice President and proclaimer of independence, namely Mohammad Hatta, with Mohammad Rum, Supomo, J. Leimena, Ali Sastroamidjoyo, Djuanda, Sukiman, Suyono Hadinoto, Sumitro Djoyohadikusumo, AK Pringgodigdo, Muwardi and TB Simatupang, an Indonesian soldier with the rank of colonel, as the group’s members.