Kaharuddin Nasution
Kaharuddin Nasution was an Indonesian military official, diplomat, and former Governor of Riau from 1960 to 1966 and Governor of North Sumatra from 1983 to 1988.
Early life
Kaharuddin Nasution was born on 23 July 1925 in Medan, Dutch East Indies. He began his education at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School in 1930, and graduated from the school in 1937. He continued his studies at the Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs in Medan and graduated from the school in 1940.After graduating from the school, he was sent by his parents to the Indonesisch-Nederlandsche School in Kayutanam, West Sumatra, which was owned by Inyiek Mohammad Syafei, future Minister of Education. He did not graduate from the school and returned to Medan in 1941.
In the Imperial Japanese Navy
During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, a recruitment for Imperial Japanese Navy officers was held in Medan. Nasution joined the recruitment program and underwent naval education in Bandung and Kyoto. He was finally given the rank of lieutenant and became the steersman in the Haraokamaru ship in 1944. He participated in the Pacific Theater and fought against the US forces in the Solomon Islands campaign and the Philippines campaign. During a naval battle in the Philippines, his ship was hit and caught fire. Nasution was injured and almost died.After the surrender of Japan, all IJN ships were ordered to return to Japan. When his ship anchored in Tokyo, Nasution heard a radio broadcast about the proclamation of Indonesian Independence. Nasution deserted his ship and secretly got on board a cargo ship that was heading for Southeast Asia. After the ship arrived in Singapore, Nasution got on board another ship that was heading to Jakarta.
In the Indonesian Army
Indonesian National Revolution
After arriving in Jakarta, Nasution joined the fledgling Indonesian Army. He was given the rank of second lieutenant and became the commander of the Mobile Battalion Company. As the commander of the mobile battalion, he was tasked to safeguard the demarcation line between the Indonesian army and the Dutch forces in West Java, Central Java, and East Java.In 1948, he was promoted to first lieutenant and was put as the commander of the Siliwangi War Battalion. During this period, he took part in crushing the Madiun Affair in Solo, Wonogiri, Ponorogo, and Madiun, and faced the Dutch forces during the politionele acties and the Legion of the Just Ruler during the APRA coup d'état.
Post-revolution
After the Indonesian National Revolution ended, he was promoted to captain in 1950 but still held the same command. In 1953, Nasution was transferred to the Jakarta Military Command as the Commander of the 1st BASIS Battalion. He became the acting commander of the Jakarta Military Command after the previous commander, Akil Prawiradiredja, was put on house arrest.Commander of the RPKAD
In 1956, Nasution was appointed as the Commander of the Special Forces Regiment of the Indonesian Army, after his predecessor, Mayor Djailani, was put in prison following the Lubis Affair. Under his command, the regiment took part in putting down the possible mutiny of a garrison in Manado.Later on, Nasution was put as the commander of the Tegas Joint Operation, an operation to crush the PRRI 's forces in Riau. Nasution appointed Commander Lieutenant Colonel Wiriadinata from the Air Force and Mayor Indra Subagyo from the Navy as his deputy. The operation consisted of one RPKAD company, two PGT, and an infantry battalion from Central Java that were planned to be airdropped into Pekanbaru. Another seaborne task force would later be deployed on the shores of Riau. This seaborne task force consisted of one KKO company, a company of infantry from East Java, and two RPKAD companies. Besides that, several BRIMOB units also joined the operation under the command of Police Commissary Sutjipto Danukusumo.
The operation began at the dawn of 12 March 1958, when the Kangaroo Command, consisting of one RPKAD company and two PGT companies, was parachuted to capture the Simpangtiga Airfield and the city of Pekanbaru. The operation was a success, as by 7 AM the Simpangtiga Airfield was fully occupied by the RPKAD forces. At midnight, the infantry battalion managed to land on the airfield. The command and the battalion occupied the city with practically no resistance, except at a clash between PRRI rebels and the RPKAD forces in the Lubuk Jambi and Kiliran Jao, which resulted in the death of Captain Ahmad Fadillah, an officer from RPKAD.
Governor of Riau
Works
After his successful command in the Tegas Operation, Nasution was promoted to colonel in 1960 and was appointed as the Penguasa Perang of the Mainland Riau Region and the commander of the Wirabima Military Command, which covered the territory of Riau. In the same year, Nasution was promoted to brigadier general and became the Penguasa Perang of the Riau Province. As the warlord of the province, he automatically became the chairman of the Executive Body of the Riau Province.With this position, Nasution was formally inaugurated as the governor of Riau on 6 January 1960, replacing Sutan Mohammad Amin. The Executive Body was dissolved and was replaced by a Daily Government Body. The BPH was later tasked to form the Regional People's Representative Council of Mutual Assistance in the Riau Province. The composition of the council was based on the results of the 1955 Indonesian legislative election. Alongside the BPH, Nasution also created the post of Deputy Governor to assist him. He appointed Datuk Wan Abdulrachman on 25 April 1962 for the position, but he soon opposed Nasution after Nasution accused him of cooperating with Malaysia during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation period. Nasution would later arrest him under the accusation of participating in the United Republic of Indonesia, a secessionist movement.
As the Governor of Riau, Nasution concurrently held several positions during his term, namely as the Speaker of the Regional People's Representative Council of Riau from 1961 until 1966, the honorary office as the Chairman of the Rectorate Council of the Islamic University of Riau and the Riau State University from 1963 until 1966, and as the chairman of the National Front branch of Riau and the '45 Struggle Organization. He also became a member of the People's Consultative Assembly from 15 September 1960 until his removal from office on 15 November 1966.
During his tenure as the Governor of Riau, President Sukarno ordered him to move the capital of Riau from Tanjungpinang, which at that time was still using the Singapore dollar, to the newly liberated Pekanbaru, which already was using the Indonesian Rupiah. Upon hearing this news, many Riau civil employees refused to be moved to Pekanbaru, and opted to resign instead.
Assisted by Ahmad Faqih, an expert in public works, Kaharuddin planned Pekanbaru as a modern city. Kaharuddin modeled the Pekanbaru after the New York City, with a road system in the form of streets and avenues. After building the road system, Nasution began to construct government buildings and houses of worship in Riau, namely the Governor's Office, Trikora Building, An-Nur Great Mosque, Dwikora Stadion, Hotel Riau, Kartini building, and also thousands of accommodations and offices.
Kaharuddin obtained the fund for the capital move from the assistance of the Caltex company. With an agreement between the company and the Pertamina along with the Department of Mining, Nasution was allowed to utilize all of the vehicles previously owned by Caltex. Nasution then auctioned all of the vehicles, and the money obtained was used to fund the construction of the new capital.
Removal from office
Following the crackdown of the 30 September Movement, a wave of student protests began to storm Riau. Riau students demanded the Riau government to dissolve the Communist Party of Indonesia's branch in Riau and single-handedly took over the offices owned by the party in Riau. Although the student protest was endorsed by the armed forces, Kaharuddin Nasution did not show any support to the protests.Due to his reluctance to show support to the student movements, on 24 May 1966, associations of Riau students in Java sent a letter to Basuki Rahmat, the Minister of Internal Affairs at that time. The students demanded Rachmat to remove Kaharuddin Nasution from his office. The students also stated that Nasution formed a government system that oppress the people of Riau and that he did not took any actions to clean the government apparatus from communists and vested interests.
A month later, on 28 June 1966, the Ampera Mission, consisted of student representatives, was formed. The group, which consisted of prominent student figures, went to Nasution. When they finally got to meet Nasution, one of their main demands was to release political prisoners which opposed Nasution policies. Nasution then responded by saying that the "Ampera Mission should learn instead and not getting involved in politics". Since then, the members of the Ampera Mission stated that they were continuously spied.
Although continuously being spied, the Ampera Mission continued their action. Under the protection of the Siliwangi Division, the mission organized a rally against the Communist Party of Indonesia in the Dwikora Stadium. With the support of the Siliwangi Division, the Ampera Mission met Nasution again on 5 July 1966. The mission delivered the same demands, but Nasution then stated that the political prisoners were not imprisoned but they were "isolated".
After failing to deliver their demands to the governor, Riau students, under the Indonesian College Students' Action Union and the Indonesian Students' Action Union, came to the office of the Regional People's Representative Council of Riau on 15 July 1966. Their presence was met with fierce resistance from the armed forces, and a clash occurred between the students and the armed forces. 15 KAPI members fell on the ground after being hit, kicked, or lunged by the soldiers. Several students, such as Mustafa Noor, Leonard Kaligis, M Arifin, Fauzi Suherman, Agus Jun Batuah, from the Ampera Mission and Imran, Asman, and Juliaman from KAPI and KAMI were arrested.
On 28 August 1966, student groups and the Riau populace issued two demands. The first demand urged the government to create political stability in Riau, and the second demand was to replace the governor as soon as possible. The student groups and the Riau populace proposed Arifin Achmad as the replacement for Nasution. The demand was fulfilled by the central government, as on 15 November 1966, Arifin Achmad was inaugurated by Basuki Rachmat as the acting Governor of Riau. Nasution later left Riau on 27 December 1966.