15 Facts About Zainul Arifin

Zainul Arifin was born as the only child of a descendant of the king of Barus, Sultan Raja Barus Tuangku Ramali bin Sultan Alam Sahi Pohan, and a woman of Kotanopan noble origin, Mandailing, Siti Baiyah boru Nasution.

Zainul Arifin was very artistic and was once active in the Malay musical theater, Stambul Bangsawan or "Musical Theater of the aristocrats".

On stage, Zainul Arifin took roles as a singer and violinist.

At the age of 16, Zainul Arifin then migrated to Batavia.

In Batavia, Zainul Arifin used his HIS diploma to apply for work at the colonial township government as a clerk in the water company in Jakarta.

Zainul Arifin often provided legal assistance to people who needed a lawyer with no educational background yet mastered Dutch Law.

In just a few short years, Zainul Arifin had become chairman of the Jatinegara Chapter of NU.

Zainul Arifin was tasked with the creation of the tonarigumi, a precursor to the current rukun tetangga, in Jatinegara, and eventually in other villages situated on the island of Java.

Zainul Arifin, who was appointed Hezbollah's commander, was tasked with coordinating semi-military training in Cibarusa, situated near Bogor.

Zainul Arifin was then charged with representing the Masyumi Party's faction within the Central Indonesian National Committee, the precursor to the People's Consultative Assembly, while continuing to hold the leadership of Hezbollah, which had been integrated into the armed forces.

Zainul Arifin was then involved as a member of the Central Government Commissariat in Java, part of the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia located in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra.

Since Indonesia's independence Zainul Arifin has sat in the Working Committee of the Central Indonesian National Committee, the predecessor to MPR.

Zainul Arifin was active in parliament representing the party and later the NU party after breaking away from Masyumi in 1952.

The General Election in 1955 had ushered Zainul Arifin to become a member of the Constituent Assembly and deputy Speaker of the DPR until the two institutions were dissolved by presidential decree 5 July 1959.

Zainul Arifin eventually died on 2 March 1963 after sustaining the gunshot wound for ten months.