MH Thamrin Appointed As A Member Of Volksraad In Today's History, May 16, 1927

JAKARTA History today, 96 years ago, May 16, 1927, Mohammad Husni Thamrin was appointed by the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies as a member of Volksraad (now a kind of member of the DPR). This career made Thamrin much help the nation's fighters to escape the shackles of colonialism.

Previously, Thamrin's power as a member of the Batavian City Council was amazing. His actions as a cooperative fighter were respected. He often defends the rights of the natives. Mainly, the Betawi people. He was even able to dictate to the Dutch to care about the fate of their people.

Thamrin's fragrant name in Batavia (now: Jakarta) does not appear for no reason. He is known as a cooperative freedom fighter. A battlefield that was taken by entering the Dutch East Indies government system.

The fight was marked by Thamrin's decision to be part of the Batavia City Council. His focus on entering the city council was not to enrich himself. He entered the Batavia City Council to defend the Betawi people whose lives were disturbed by the Dutch.

All because Thamrin felt for himself how the Dutch treated the Betawi people inhumane. The life of the Betawi people is like being separated from the Europeans. The Dutch, especially. Betawi people often feel the hardships of life.

The access of the bumiputras was deliberately limited. From the problem of clean water to forced to occupy slum settlements. In life, Europeans never feel the fate of the Betawi people. This fact made Thamrin, who is a wedana child, furious.

He tried to enter the Batavia City Council and changed many things. The Dutch were able to be forced by Thamrin to be more concerned about Betawi people's lives. Thamrin argues that if Betawi people's lives are not improved, the quality of life will target Europeans. The impact is everywhere. The villages in Batavia were also repaired by the colonial government.

The autonomy climate for local representation opens up the possibility for the political influence of Mohammad Hoesni Thamrin. He is financially strong enough, besides that he has the position of an employee in the bookkeeping department of the Dutch Shipping Headquarters, KPM in Gambir, Batavia. He has time and opportunity to carry out his sociopolitical ambitions.

"He has a friendly relationship with a number of Dutch ethics in Batavia in the colonial community where he studied in matters of concern. Thus, it is open to him to occupy a political position in the Batavian City Council at a relatively young age," explained Bob Hering in the book MH Thamrin: Building Indonesian Nationalism (2003).

Thamrin's political career has also increased. He, who was originally known as a local figure, immediately turned into a Nusantara figure. The origin was none other than because the Dutch colonial government appointed Thamrin as a member of Volksraad on May 16, 1927.

The appointment made Thamrin move more freely. He even supports many freedom fighters who choose the path of non-cooperative (radical) struggle. The fighters include Soekarno, Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo, to Soewardi Soerjaningrat (now known as Ki Hajar Dewantara).

Thamrin helped them many things. He was involved in dealing with influencing the Dutch so that freedom fighters would not be severely punished. Thamrin also took part in providing financial injections to national fighters to fight to break the shackles of colonialism.

In 1927, he was appointed a Volksraad member to fill vacancies declared empty by the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. At first the position was offered to HOS Tjokroaminoto, but he refused.

With the rejection of these two great figures, a committee was formed, namely the Sarjito committee who would choose someone who was deemed worthy to occupy the vacant Volksraad seat. The Sarjito committee finally made its choice to Thamrin. The reason for the emergence is that Thamrin is quite worthy of the seat, given his experience as a member of the Batavia City Council, "explained historian Anhar Gonggong in the book Muhammad Husni Thamrin (1991).