Mohammad Hatta: Nationalist or Opportunist?

Dr.H.Mohammad Hatta or Brother Hatta was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, on Agustus 12, 1902. He was born in the strong Islamic family. He brought this faith untill his death came. His Islamic understanding was the strong factor beside his intellectualism spirit which influenced his idea that the social and economic justice is the message of God doctrine. And this thinking was strengthened with his critical reading on the literatures written by Karl Marx and the European socialist figures.


Hatta began to understand about plitical thinking when he was studying in school in Padang and Batavia. But, the political thinking was concepted perfectly after he studied in Business High School of Rotterdam untill he got the title of doctorandus. This school had given him the strong basis to understand economic theories and the practical problems in both the national and international economic system. During his staying in Holland, he used the opportunity to widen his knowledge, to read the contemporary political and social problems, and to understand the Marxist theories which at the time were always interesting to all of European intellectuals. The politic debates in Europe in 1920s, the activities of the students of the universities from colonialized countries in Paris, London, and Bonn, and his participation on politic debates with the European socialist and communist figures had formed Hatta’s ideology.

Hatta’s thinkings are dynamic, not dogmatic. They include many topics, from politic, social, economy untill culture. But there are four main problems that became Hatta’s concern during his role in struggle for Indonesia’s independence and in the next years in his life. They are:
a.His belief that the parliamentary democracy with multiparties is the best governance form for Indonesia
b.His belief about the necessity to the fundamental social modernization for Indonesia
c.His belief that Indonesia must struggle especially to create the just economy
d.His belief that the parties in Indonesia must be lead by the educated cadres who have high political consideration and should act carefully into the mass membership

Hatta delivered his thinkings by writing many articles and essays in newspaper, journal, and magazine. After Indonesia’s independence, he often attended public meetings and gave his opinions and thinkings on the contemporary problems. They, which delivered during his life, are motivated by his consideration of nationalism on Indonesia’s independence and the prosperity of Indonesian people on economy, spirituality, social, and politic.

Some commentaries saying that Hatta is opportunist are wrong and have no basis whatever. Although he didn’t continue his duty as the vice-president by some reasons, he was always critical to every Soekarno’s govermental policy. His continuous criticism can be proved from his personal letters to Soekarno which had been sent since his retirement from the vice-president duty in Desember 1, 1956. they were collected by Mochtar Lubis and contains about his criticism to the Guided Democracy done by Soekarno. He was really a nationalist.

(Posting ini format bahasa Inggrisnya dari segi gramatikal mungkin banyak yang salah. Jadi, mohon dikritik dan diberi saran untuk perbaikannya.