The Figure Of Mother In Bung Hatta's View

JAKARTA - The role of the mother is extraordinary. Especially for a prominent proclaimer of Indonesian independence, Mohammad Hatta. The role of his mother, Siti Saleha (1881-1959) was immense. From religious matters to education, the role of the mother always enters. As a result, thanks to his intervention, Hatta grew into a smart and brave person. Hatta also became one of the main Indonesian actors to escape the shackles of Dutch colonialism.

Mohammad Hatta was born in Bukit Tinggi, August 12, 1902. His father was named Haji Mohammad Jamil and his mother was named Siti Saleha. Even so, his parents came from different family backgrounds.

Quoted from Anwar Abbas in Bung Hatta's book and Islamic economics (2010), Hatta's father came from Batu Hampar, about 9 kilos from Payakumbuh City which is included in Luhak - the region - Limo Puluh Kota. Meanwhile, his mother came from the city of Bukittinggi, including luhak Agam. Hatta's parents were respected figures in the community in their respective luhak.

"Hatta's father is the son of Sheikh Arsyad, a religious teacher and leader of Tariqat Naqsyabandi who is quite well known in his area. He did not have time to care for and raise his child because he had died at a relatively young age of 30 years, when Hatta was only seven months old. While his mother is the son of Ilyas Bagindo Marah, a trader who is quite wealthy in the city of Bukittinggi, "said Anwar Abbas.

The death of Hatta's father made Siti Saleha widowed for a long time. Therefore, he took most of the role in educating Hatta.

Some time later, Siti Saleha then found a new mate, Mas Agus Haji Ning. In line with that, Siti Saleha's hopes for Bung Hatta to become a brave and intelligent person continued to grow.

Saleha put his vision into education. For a Bukittinggi merchant, wealth will mean nothing if it is not invested in quality education. According to him, education is the main requirement for success. Moreover, Hatta is Saleha's only eldest son.

Siti Saleha is very concerned about the education of her children. He also did not differentiate between the quality of religious education and general education. In teaching religion, Siti Saleha equipped Hatta with an understanding of religion. Siti Saleha later became a capable religious teacher. Likewise with general education. He was so serious that little Hatta seemed to have been well prepared to take formal education.

"This can be seen from the fact that Hatta has been registered at the People's School (SR) even though he is not yet six years old. When this registration was rejected, Hatta's grandfather, whom he called Pak Gaek, sent him to a private Dutch school for seven months, especially to boost Hatta's ability to improve reading and writing. After completing his education at this private Dutch school, Hatta was accepted to study at the Public School in Bukittinggi, "said Zulfikri Suleman in the book Democracy for Indonesia: Bung Hatta's Political Thought (2010).

Saleha planted an eternal prayer in his son's name. Mohammad Hatta was originally named Mohammad Athar.

The word Mohammad is taken from the name of the Prophet, while the word Athar comes from Arabic which means fragrant. By the tongue of the Minangkabau people, the word Athar is often pronounced Atta. Gradually, Athar turned fruitful to Hatta. So, after that the full name Mohammad Athar became Mohammad Hatta.

The amount of concern the mother gave to Hatta was not separated from the dispute. One day there was a debate to determine where Bung Hatta would continue his studies after graduating from Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS).

On the one hand, Hatta insisted on continuing his education at the Hoogere Burgerschool (HBS) in Batavia (Jakarta). but the mother forbade it. Siti Saleha was not against it because the costs were so great, such as the reason Soekarno's mother forbade her child to go to the Netherlands. However, Ibu Hatta forbade her because her child was too young to leave.

Regarding the role of Soekarno's mother in the life of an independence proclaimer, we have reviewed it at length in the article "Mother's Role in Soekarno's Life."

“When he was preparing to go to Betawi, suddenly his mother didn't let him go. As it sounds, many young people who are sent to school to the 'cruise city' have broken their lessons on the way. It would be better if he entered the Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO) in Padang. Only then continue to HBS, "wrote P. Swantoro in book From Book to Book: Connecting to One (2002).

"This request is very heavy for Hatta. He will lose one year if he enters HBS from MULO. MULO graduates are only accepted in the third grade of HBS because chemistry is not taught at MULO, while chemistry lessons start in grade three," said Swantoro.

In response to this debate, Bung Hatta considered it a first lesson crisis. Even in his memoir Mohammad Hatta: Memoir (1979), Bung Hatta revealed that he wanted to stop going to school because he was confused and heartbroken.

Hatta just wanted to work as a postal assistant. Apart from the relatively high starting salary, according to Bung Hatta, he still had the possibility to take courses in Batavia.

"Even though the job prospect was quite attractive to Hatta, especially at the same time being a 'consolation', in the end he gave up on persuading his mother and uncle to enter MULO in Padang. He graduated in May 1919 so that he could continue to the PHS trade school in Batavia. From this school he graduated in May 1921. On August 3, 1921, Hatta had boarded the ship 'Tambora.' And 5 September 1921 anchored in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to then become a student at Handels Hogeschool in Rotterdam as well, "added P. Swantoro.

In the end, his mother's intervention led Bung Hatta to become the proclaimer of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945. After that, he accompanied Bung Karno as the first vice president of the Republic of Indonesia.