54 Facts About Soekiman Wirjosandjojo

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was an Indonesian politician and physician who served as prime minister of Indonesia from 1951 until 1952.

Additionally, Soekiman served as the first president of the Masyumi Party from 1945 to 1951.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was active within the Islamic political organization Sarekat Islam, later the Indonesian Islamic Union Party, from which he was expelled in 1933 due to a dispute.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo then co-founded the Indonesian Islamic Political Party, which in 1938 became the Indonesian Islamic Party.

When Masyumi was formed as a political party in November 1945, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was elected its first chairman.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo acted as opposition to various government cabinets during the Indonesian National Revolution, namely those of Prime Ministers Sutan Sjahrir and Amir Sjarifuddin, although he agreed to work with them following the Dutch military offensive of 1947.

In independent Indonesia, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was first replaced as Masyumi's chairman by Mohammad Natsir, and in turn, he replaced Natsir as prime minister in April 1951 by forming a coalition with the Indonesian National Party, creating the Soekiman Wirjosandjojo Cabinet.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo arrested thousands of individuals due to a suspected coup attempt, particularly members of the Indonesian Communist Party.

In foreign policy, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's tenure saw an improvement in relations with the Western Bloc and especially with the United States.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo remained active within Masyumi after his premiership, until he departed from politics following the involvement of Masyumi leaders in the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the advent of Guided Democracy.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was born in Sewu, today in Surakarta, on 19June 1898.

Wirjosandjojo had a business relationship with a Dutch armed forces veteran, and through his help Soekiman could enroll at a Europeesche Lagere School in Boyolali, normally reserved for Europeans and native nobility.

Also in 1923, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo married Kustami, and the two had a son before Soekiman Wirjosandjojo departed for the Netherlands.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was active in the Indonesian students' organization Indonesische Vereniging during his foreign studies, serving as the organization's chairman between 1924 and 1925.

Under Soekiman Wirjosandjojo, the Vereniging translated its official name to Perhimpoenan Indonesia, and renamed its magazine from Hindia Poetra to Indonesia Merdeka.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was known for his skills in treating lung illnesses and would often give discounts or free treatments for poorer patients.

When Soekiman Wirjosandjojo launched the nationalist Utusan Indonesia newspaper in 1932, he asked Hatta to become its chief editor.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo attempted to defend the rights of around 900 PSII members laid off by a colonial government-owned pawnbroking network and succeeded in lobbying for severance pay and secured priority for the employees to be rehired.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo had longstanding disagreements with PSII's noncooperative stance with the colonial government, and after he was expelled he formed the Partij Politiek Islam Indonesia with Muhammadiyah's support.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo took part in the founding of Majelis Islam A'la Indonesia which was intended to serve as a federation of various Islamic organizations.

Early on in the occupation, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo became inactive in politics due to a ban on various political organizations including MIAI.

Once MIAI was allowed to operate again in September 1942, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo became one of its leaders along with Harsono Tjokroaminoto and Wondoamiseno, until it was shut down in late 1943.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was later listed as a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo did not become a member of this committee, and PPKI members cancelled Hasyim's proposal, allowing non-Muslims to serve as president and establishing Indonesia's lack of a formal state religion.

Beyond this matter, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo discussed the legal structures of the future People's Consultative Assembly and the legal rights of citizens within the Constitution of Indonesia.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was opposed to the formation of Sutan Sjahrir's first cabinet, which he considered to be a constitutional violation.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo still criticized the formation of the Second Sjahrir Cabinet in February 1946, despite having been involved in determining its composition.

On 3July 1946, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo visited the presidential palace, apparently believing that President Sukarno was to make an announcement.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's Masyumi opposed the agreement, seeing it as too accommodating to Dutch demands, to the point where Soekiman Wirjosandjojo declared his intention to overthrow Sjahrir's government by force.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo, believing that Masyumi had significant popular backing, demanded several important posts be held by Masyumi members.

The hostility between Sjarifuddin and Soekiman Wirjosandjojo continued until the Dutch Operation Product in July 1947, which forced both parties to compromise and Sjarifuddin agreed to appoint several Masyumi members into his cabinet.

Regardless, his cabinet collapsed following Masyumi's loss of support later on following the Renville Agreement, and Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was appointed Interior Minister within the succeeding First Hatta Cabinet.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's appointment was well-received by Islamic organizations, and the Dutch even mistook Soekiman Wirjosandjojo as the leader of the emerging Darul Islam movement.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo later took part in the Indonesian delegation for the negotiations regarding the transfer of sovereignty in 1949.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo led Masyumi until 1949 when Mohammad Natsir was appointed chair of the party's executive committee to replace him.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo held on to the position of party chairman until he was demoted to deputy chairman in 1951.

When Natsir became prime minister in 1950, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo became a critic of his cabinet, judging that it was formed with too much pressure from the Indonesian Army.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo disagreed with Natsir's decision to exclude the PNI from the government, which he believed would result in the government becoming vulnerable.

Regardless, a government was formed and Soekiman Wirjosandjojo began serving as prime minister with PNI's Suwiryo as his deputy on 27April 1951.

Also unlike Natsir, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo maintained a close personal relationship with Sukarno.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's government took a harder stance against the emerging Darul Islam movement under Kartosoewirjo compared to the preceding government.

In January 1951, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo approved a military operation against the movement after Natsir's amnesty program was deemed to be unsuccessful.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's government began implementing economist Sumitro Djojohadikusumo's plan for national industrialization and pressed on despite more vulnerable government finances due to declining exports in later months.

In 1951, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo decided to grant civil servants a bonus during the month of Ramadan.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo's cabinet implemented an international trade embargo against the PRC and denied entry to a number of its diplomats.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo sent foreign minister Achmad Soebardjo to sign the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951, despite internal opposition to the act by some Masyumi leaders such as Mohammad Roem and Sjafruddin Prawiranegara.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was once more appointed as cabinet formateur on 29July 1955 after the collapse of the First Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet, this time with PNI's Wilopo and Masyumi's Assaat, but the trio failed to form a cabinet, and their mandate was returned by 3August.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo became a member of the Constitutional Assembly of Indonesia.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo attempted to lobby other Masyumi leaders into condemning Natsir's actions, but pro-Natsir politicians such as Prawoto Mangkusasmito blocked his attempt and thus the party limited its public statements against Natsir, simply referring to the PRRI movement as unconstitutional.

Prawoto's faction took over the party's leadership following the 1959 Masyumi Congress, leaving just Soekiman Wirjosandjojo holding his post as deputy chairman.

In 1960, Soekiman Wirjosandjojo was invited to join the newly formed People's Representative Council of Mutual Assistance by Sukarno.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo decided to retire from politics, allowing him to evade widespread arrests of former Masyumi leaders during the early 1960s as the government saw him as a non-threat.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo floated the idea of forming a new Islamic party after Suharto became president but shelved his plans after consulting with authorities within the New Order.

Soekiman Wirjosandjojo died at around 11:30 AM on 23July 1974 in his home in Yogyakarta.