History Today, August 3, 1921: Bung Bung Hatta Departs To Study In The Netherlands

Bung Hatta on a visit to the Netherlands as Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia. (geheugen.delpher.nl)

JAKARTA – Today's history, 101 years ago, August 3, 1921, Mohammad Hatta left for the Netherlands to continue his education. He boarded the Rotterdam Lloyd's Tambora. Bung Hatta plans to continue his education at the high school of economics in Rotterdam.

Previously, Bung Hatta had been forbidden by his mother to study further. He was asked to spend his year in Minang land alone. However, Bung Hatta did not give up. He chose to continue his education to Batavia, then the Netherlands.

Bung Hatta was born into a family that really cares about education. It's also an affluent family. Bung Hatta can go to school anywhere in Minang. Because it's possible. Bung Hatta entered the Malay School, Bukittinggi, and then in 1913-1916 continued his studies at the Europeesche Lagere School (ELS) in Padang.

However, problems arose when Bung Hatta wanted to continue his studies at Hoogere Burgerschool (HBS) in Batavia. His mother, Siti Saleha, did not allow her son to go to study in a city nicknamed the Queen of the East. Bung Hatta is still relatively young (14 years old), he said.

Portrait of Bung Hatta (standing second from left) when he was a student in the Netherlands in 1925. (Repro For My Country)

Bung Hatta also obeyed. He was confused and heartbroken. He did not want to continue his education. he chose to work as a postal assistant. Bung Hatta's salary was relatively high at that time. He also warned his work could take him to Batavia.

Slowly Bung Hatta melted too. He followed his mother's advice to continue his education at Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO), Padang. In fact, studying at MULO was able to open a gap to realize his dream of studying in Batavia.

“Although the job prospect was quite attractive to Hatta, let alone a solace at the same time, but in the end he gave in to the persuasion of his mother and uncle to enter MULO in Padang. He graduated in May 1919 so he could continue to the Prins Hendrikschool te Batavia (PHS) Trade School in Batavia,” said P. Swatoro in the book From Book to Book: Connect Connected to One (2016).

Bung Hatta did not necessarily become complacent. He wanted to immediately continue his studies in the Netherlands. In fact, Bung Hatta, who was able to get third place in PHS, had received an offer with a large salary. He is strong in his will. Even the teachers at PHS, especially Stigter and De Kock also support him.

Bung Hatta was lucky because he came from a wealthy family, so he was able to receive higher education in his day. (Wikimedia Commons)

Money can be found, opportunities to study are rarely met. That's the advice. Therefore, Bung Hatta in plenary chose to study in the Netherlands. He also received a scholarship to study in the Netherlands. however, the scholarship was only obtained when Bung Hatta set foot in the Netherlands.

The expenses for leaving and other expenses were borne by Bung Hatta's parents and uncle. Thanks to this financial support, Bung Hatta finally left for the Netherlands via Teluk Bayur, Padang on August 3, 1921. He boarded the Tambora ship owned by the shipping company Rotterdam Lloyd.

“In the Netherlands, Hatta studied at the Handels Hoogere School, an economics high school in Rotterdam. He majored in trade economics. Two years later he had earned his baccalaureate degree. Bung Hatta then proceeded to the undergraduate level but when he got ready to take the complete undergraduate examination he moved to another major. The major he entered was the state economics department, therefore he was forced to extend his study period. This lecture was only completed by Hatta in 1932," concluded Anwar Abbas in Bung Bung Hatta's book and Islamic Economics (2010).