Ahead Of Suharto Lengser: Egypt Becomes General Of Cheap National Visits To Smile

Momentum Suharto resigned from the position of President of Indonesia on May 21, 1998. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - The Soeharto government and the New Order (Orba) were on the brink of 1998. All Indonesians are no longer willing to be led by the repressive The Smiling General (General of Cheap Smiles). This condition made demonstrations appear everywhere.

Instead of helping to secure the situation, Suharto chose to go to Egypt. The state visit was considered more important than the precarious condition of the nation. As a result, Suharto became increasingly dizzy. His officers acted too far. The people forced Suharto to resign.

The horror of all Indonesian people to Suharto and New Order is increasing. Suharto's policy is considered no longer to side with the people. Disappointment erupted since early January 1998. The phase of people's anger has become a dark period because Indonesia has also been hit by an economic recession.

The rupiah exchange rate plummeted. Fuel prices rose. The company went out of business a lot. Layoffs occur everywhere. Officials and politicians refuse to think about the people. They are busy focusing and showing off their wealth. As a result, people's lives have fallen at the lowest level.

All Indonesian people, especially students, began to take to the streets. They demanded reform. Suharto is considered the culprit of the bad situation due to the economic crisis. They have also long hated the actions of Suharto and the New Order, which were a little terror of the people with violence.

This condition made Suharto's leadership sins begin to be played one by one in each political oration. Suharto became furious, not playing. However, Suharto did not hear the demands of the people. He immediately instructed the Brimob and KKpassus officers to secure the situation.

The order was immediately responded to. The result brought a lot of harm. The clash between students and the authorities took place everywhere. This condition made the demonstration, which was originally economically motivated, turn into politics.

Suharto's demands to resign from the position of President of Indonesia echoed throughout the country. Suharto by students has been described as a dictator, Adolf Hitler.

The political situation in the country is already hot. Student demonstrations spread in many major cities; some have even led to anarchism. Riots broke out in Bandung on January 5, 1998. One week after that, thousands of residents in the cities of Losari, Pamukan, Gebang, and Jatiwangi went berserk, protesting against rising prices of goods.

The actions in Unclean (Central Java) have even led to acts of racism targeting people of Chinese descent. In the city of Praya, it is reported that nine residents suffered injuries due to mass clashes with the authorities. In Jakarta, Governor Sutiyoso warned the public to be calm, not provoked by misleading issues, "said Tjipta Lesmana in the book From Soekarno to SBY (2013).

Indonesia's condition is not doing well. Suharto and the New Order really understand this. However, the New Order government believes that the authorities can suppress the anger of the demonstrators. Suharto also saw as before, he was sure that Indonesia would be fine.

Suharto in the midst of strong shocks chose to make a state visit to Egypt on May 9, 1998. Those who escorted Suharto were no less than the Vice President, BJ Habibie, and other ministers. The delivery crowd was while there was no major turmoil that occurred in the archipelago.

Suharto plans to attend the G-15 Summit. The problem arose, Suharto's departure in fact made the violence of the apparatus even more uncontrollable. They are while samurai are no man (Ronin). The authorities became a group of adherents of violence.

The Trisakti tragedy was one of the events that occurred when Suharto was in Egypt. Four Trisakti students died at the hands of the authorities on May 12, 1998. In fact, Trisakti University does not have an image as a struggle campus.

Trisakti students' deaths then sparked greater resistance everywhere. People's anger got out of control. This condition then reached Suharto's ears abroad. As a result, Suharto immediately went home early, or on May 15, 1998.

The result was in vain. The violence of the apparatus is out of control. The people's anger can no longer be extinguished. Suharto loyalists began to leave one after another. Some even demanded Suharto immediately resign.

Suharto finally couldn't fight the will of the people. he resigned on May 21, 1998.

Wednesday, May 20, 1998, Suharto lived alone. Fourteen cabinet ministers refused to join the new cabinet. In the evening, Habibie came to see Cendana. The two Republican officials discussed the names of members of the Reform Cabinet to be formed.

"The plan is that the cabinet will be announced the next day. A day later the inauguration was prepared. Suharto invited Habibie to drink tea. But there is a historic message. The Cendana ruler stated that next Saturday he would invite the leadership of the DPR. He wants to resign, "said Agung Rulianto and his friends in his writing in Tempo magazine entitled May 1998, When the Republic Pucuk Replaced (2006).