62 Facts About Mohammad Hatta

Mohammad Hatta was an Indonesian statesman, nationalist, and independence activist who served as the country's first vice president as well as the third prime minister.

Mohammad Hatta played a crucial role in the proclamation of Indonesian independence, being the second person to sign the declaration besides Sukarno, thus making him one of the founders of Indonesia.

Mohammad Hatta was born in Fort De Kock on 12 August 1902 into a prominent and strongly Islamic family.

Mohammad Hatta's grandfather, Sheikh Abdurrahman, was a respected Naqshbandi-Khalidi murshid in Batuhampar, near Payakumbuh.

Mohammad Hatta went to the Dutch language elementary school in Padang from 1913 to 1916 after he had finished Sekolah Melayu in Bukittinggi.

Mohammad Hatta then entered junior secondary school or MULO.

Mohammad Hatta was interested in football; he joined his school's football team and was made its chairman.

Mohammad Hatta broadened his sphere of contacts by using his position.

Mohammad Hatta used to visit the office of the Sarikat Usaha, led by Taher Marah Soetan.

Mohammad Hatta was chosen the treasurer of the branch of the Jong Sumatranen Bond, which was first established in Padang in 1918.

Mohammad Hatta completed his study with distinction in 1921, and was allowed to continue to study at Erasmus University Rotterdam in Rotterdam.

Mohammad Hatta took economics as his major and earned a doctorandus degree in 1932.

Mohammad Hatta then continued to pursue the doctorate degree, and completed all requirements to be awarded it, but he never finished his thesis.

Mohammad Hatta was the treasurer, and then the chairman.

On his inauguration, Mohammad Hatta delivered a speech with the title of "The Economic World Structure and the Conflict of Power", in which he supported the idea of Indonesian non-cooperation with the Dutch colonial government in order to gain its independence.

In February 1927, Mohammad Hatta went to Brussels to attend a congress held by the League Against Imperialism and Colonial Oppression.

Mohammad Hatta met many other prominent nationalists there, including Jawaharlal Nehru from India, Mohammad Hafiz Ramadan Bey from Egypt and Lamine Senghor from Senegal.

Later in the year, Mohammad Hatta attended another congress held by the International Women's League for Peace and Freedom in Switzerland.

On that occasion, Mohammad Hatta delivered a speech with the title of "Indonesia and her Independence Problem".

Mohammad Hatta made a speech to the court explaining that Indonesia's interests were in conflict with those of the Dutch, and that was why they could not cooperate.

Mohammad Hatta advocated cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands, but only if Indonesia was independent and treated as an equal partner, not unequally because of its status as a colony.

In July 1932, Mohammad Hatta made his way home to Indonesia.

Mohammad Hatta returned home in 1932 to an Indonesia whose nationalist momentum had been slowed down by the arrest and imprisonment of Sukarno.

Between 1932 and 1933, Mohammad Hatta wrote articles on politics and economics for the New PNI's newspaper Daulat Rakyat.

Mohammad Hatta seemed to be extremely critical of Sukarno at this point in time.

When Mohammad Hatta arrived there, he was told by the local authorities that he had two options.

Mohammad Hatta commented if he had decided to take a job as a civil servant in Jakarta, he would have earned a lot of money and knowing that, there was no need to go to Boven Digoel to be paid cheaply.

Mohammad Hatta earned enough money from that to make ends meet at Boven Digoel and to support his colleagues who had financial troubles.

Mohammad Hatta used his books to give his colleagues lessons on economics, history, and philosophy.

Mohammad Hatta adopted a local boy, Des Alwi, as his son while living in Bandaneira.

In Jakarta, Mohammad Hatta met with Major General Kumakichi Harada, the interim head of government.

Harada asked Mohammad Hatta to become an advisor for the occupational Government.

Mohammad Hatta accepted the job and then asked Harada if Japan was here to colonize Indonesia.

In July 1942, Mohammad Hatta was reunited with Sukarno who after Flores had been transferred to Sumatra before the Japanese arrived, and had been asked for his services.

Syahrir and Mohammad Hatta then went to see Sukarno, with Syahrir repeating his argument in front of Sukarno.

Mohammad Hatta then spoke out, saying that he was worried the Allies would see them as Japanese collaborators.

Mohammad Hatta, who was aware of this and Sukarno's superiority in the exchange, sarcastically commented on the youths' inability to proclaim independence without Sukarno.

On 18 August 1945, Mohammad Hatta was selected as Indonesia's first vice president by the PPKI to accompany Sukarno, who had been elected as the nation's first president.

Mohammad Hatta would make three important decisions in the republic's early days.

Mohammad Hatta was able to make these crucial decisions because Sukarno was unable to attend the meetings in question, leaving Mohammad Hatta in charge.

The Queen of the Netherlands would continue to become the symbolic head of state while Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta would continue as president and vice president.

Mohammad Hatta continued on as the Prime Minister of the United States of Indonesia and presided over the transition of the federal state to the unitary state, which was made official on 17 August 1950.

Mohammad Hatta engaged in intellectual pursuits, writing essays and books about topics such as the economy and cooperatives.

In July 1951, on the occasion of Cooperatives Day, Mohammad Hatta went on the radio to deliver a speech on cooperatives.

In 1948, Mohammad Hatta delivered a speech called "Rowing Between Two Rocks".

Mohammad Hatta said that Indonesian foreign policy has to look after its own interest first, not that of the US and the USSR.

In saying this, Mohammad Hatta wanted Indonesia to be independent in deciding its stance during the Cold War.

Mohammad Hatta added that Indonesia should be an active participant in world politics so that it would be Indonesia's interests that came first.

In 1955, Mohammad Hatta announced that when the new People's Representative Council as well as the Constitutional Assembly, a body commissioned to create a new constitution, were formed as a result of the year's legislative and assembly elections, he would retire from the vice presidency.

Mohammad Hatta announced this intention in a letter to Sukarno.

Mohammad Hatta had continued to advise Sukarno against taking this road but he was ignored.

Mohammad Hatta finally gave up and thought that he could no longer work with Sukarno.

On 1 December 1956, Mohammad Hatta officially resigned from the vice presidency.

Mohammad Hatta's retirement caused shockwaves all around Indonesia, especially for those of non-Javanese ethnicity.

The impact of Mohammad Hatta's retirement was evident in the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia rebellion which wanted to break free from Indonesia, and the Universal Struggle movement, which asked for decentralization.

Now outside the government, Mohammad Hatta began to openly criticize Sukarno.

Mohammad Hatta said that the revolution ended with the Dutch recognition of Indonesian sovereignty and that the government's focus should be on development.

In July 1978, together with Abdul Haris Nasution, Mohammad Hatta set up the Institute for Constitutional Awareness Foundation, set up to act as a forum for critics of Suharto's regime.

Mohammad Hatta died on 14 March 1980 at 18:56 at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, after eleven days of being treated there.

Mohammad Hatta was designated as a proclaiming hero in 1986 by the Suharto government.

Mohammad Hatta did not want to get married until Indonesia was independent.

Mohammad Hatta currently serves as President of the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party.