Mohammad Jusuf
Encyclopedia
Andi Mohammad Jusuf Amir (Kayuara, Bone
, South Sulawesi
, 23 June 1928 - Makassar
, South Sulawesi, 8 September 2004) or more commonly known as M. Jusuf was an Indonesian military General and a witness to the signing of the Supersemar
document transferring power from President Sukarno
to General Suharto.
Not much is known about Jusuf's early life other than the fact he was a Bugis
aristocrat as witnessed by the titular name "Andi" in front of his name. Jusuf would later denounce his aristocratic background by dropping Andi from his name.
and Mohammad Hatta
proclaimed Indonesia's Independence on 17 August 1945, Jusuf showed his support by joining the Devotion of the Indonesian People from Sulawesi (KRIS). Towards the end of 1945, with the Dutch
Government preparing to retake Indonesia, Jusuf and his fellow KRIS members sailed for Java
to join in the fighting .
Jusuf actually started his military career in the Navy, becoming the adjutant of Navy Lieutenant Colonel Kahar Muzakkar at the 10th Navy Staff Commando headquarters in Yogyakarta.
before becoming a member of the Eastern Indonesia Military Commission.
In 1950, Jusuf became the adjutant of Colonel Alexander Evert Kawilarang
, the Commander of KODAM VII/ Wirabuana whose security brief covered the whole of Eastern Indonesia. In this position, Jusuf participated in putting down rebellions by the Republic of South Maluku (RMS). Jusuf then continued his military career, serving as a Regimental Chief of Staff in Manado
, an Operations Assistant to the Commander of KODAM VII/Wirabuana, and the Head of the General Reserves.
in all aspects of Governance, ranging from economic development to security.
Being a soldier, Jusuf was interested in the decentralization of security matters and along with like-minded colleagues came to the conclusion that the Sulawesinese should be responsible for the security in their own region . Jusuf also showed concern by the fact that KODAM VII/Wirabuana's security brief covered all of Eastern Indonesia whereas the KODAMs in Western Indonesia had a specific area to cover.
This concern for decentralization culminated in the Permesta statement which was signed by important figures in Sulawesi (including Jusuf) on 2 March 1957. The statement also declared a state of emergency
in Eastern Indonesia. At this time, Jusuf became an operations officer for Permesta.
It was not long however, before Jusuf abandoned the movement. In May 1957, Army Chief of Staff Abdul Haris Nasution
, authorized the formation of KODAM XIV/Hasanuddin, KODAM/South East Sulawesi and KODAM XVI/Udayana to cover the security of Sulawesi. With his request now fulfilled, there was no reason for Jusuf to stay with Permesta . Instead, Jusuf became a spy, reporting the results of meetings to the Central Government who were suspicious that Permesta was a separatist movement.
of the Marines serving as Minister of Transportation).
the Commander of KODAM V/Jaya. Jusuf was then updated on what happened and was informed that Sukarno had left for Bogor
by helicopter because it was not secure in Jakarta.
Jusuf then suggested that the three of them go to Bogor to provide from moral support for Sukarno. The three then went to the residence of Lieutenant General
Suharto, the Commander of the Army who had established a position as Sukarno's strongest political opponent. According to Amirmachmud, Suharto asked the three Generals to tell Sukarno of his readiness to restore security should the President order it.
At Bogor, the three met with Sukarno who was unhappy with the security and with Amirmachmud's insistence that everything was secure. Sukarno then began discussing options with the three Generals before finally Sukarno then began discussing options with Basuki, Jusuf, and Amirmachmud before finally asking them how he can take care of the situation. Jusuf and Basuki was silent, but Amirmachmud that Sukarno give Suharto some powers and govern Indonesia with him so that everything can be secured. The meeting then disbanded as Sukarno began preparing a Presidential Decree.
It was dusk when the Decree that would become Supersemar was finally prepared and awaiting Sukarno's signature. Sukarno had some last minute doubts but Jusuf, together with the two Generals and Sukarno's inner circle in the Cabinet who had also made the trip to Bogor encouraged him to sign. Sukarno finally signed and handed Supersemar to Basuki to be passed on to Suharto.
There is controversy over Jusuf's role in Supersemar. One account states that Jusuf came to Bogor with a pink folder with Supersemar already pre-prepared on a paper with the logo of the Army on it and that there was four Generals instead of three; the fourth General being Maraden Panggabean
. Sukarno was then intimidated at gun point by Basuki and Panggabean before signing the pre-prepared Supersemar.
Jusuf also managed to get hold of a copy of Supersemar.
On the 13th March, Sukarno summoned Jusuf, Basuki, and Amirmachmud. Sukarno was angry that Suharto had banned the Communist Party of Indonesia
(PKI) and told the three Generals that Supersemar did not contain such instructions. Sukarno then ordered that a letter be produced to clarify the contents of Supersemar but nothing ever came up apart from the copies that former Cuban Ambassador, AM Hanafi collected.
As Commander, Jusuf was commissioned by Suharto to start a process of integrating (Memanunggalkan) ABRI with the people. Jusuf would later on say that he was not sure of what this order meant, but took it to mean that he was to make ABRI neutral in politics instead of taking Golkar
's side. In this he was successful as in the 1982 Legislative Elections, Golkar did not get the active support from ABRI that it enjoyed in the previous two Legislative Elections that it competed in .
Jusuf was also responsible for the ABRI Enters the Villages (ABRI Masuk Desa) program. In this program, ABRI soldiers were sent to rural areas to help with infrastructure development.
During his term as Commander of ABRI, Jusuf developed a reputation as General who was interested in the welfare of his men. He regularly toured the regions to visit the soldiers and enquire about their families and conditions. This made him extremely popular in the ranks of ABRI at the expense of his relationship with Suharto, who began to saw Jusuf as a threat.
In 1982, a top officials meeting was held and attended by Suharto, Jusuf, and Amirmachmud who then served as Minister of Home Affairs. During the meeting, Amirmachmud commented on Jusuf's popularity and asked him to explain himself to Suharto. Sensing accusation behind the request, Jusuf lost his temper and promised Suharto that he never had any ambitions for power in doing his duties . Suharto's suspicion seemed to have hurt Jusuf and never attended Cabinet meetings until he was discharged from his position in April 1983.
who went on to become Vice President. However, that was the end of his involvement with the Government.
Jusuf had a close relationship with Jusuf Kalla
and at one stage considered showing Kalla the copy of Supersemar which he retrieved from 1966. Jusuf changed his mind and showed Kalla as photocopied version instead.
When Jusuf announced his intentions to produce a memoir
on his life, there was widespread expectation on what his account of Supersemar would be like (out of the 3 Generals who witnessed the signing of Supersemar, only Amirmachmud had produced his account). At first, Suharto trusted Jusuf to publish the memoir on his own but changed his mind, asking Jusuf to let the State Secretariat publish it . Jusuf rejected this offer.
In his retired life, Jusuf was active in social activities and Headed a foundation in charge of running a mosque as well contributing to the running of a hospital.
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
, South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
, 23 June 1928 - Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
, South Sulawesi, 8 September 2004) or more commonly known as M. Jusuf was an Indonesian military General and a witness to the signing of the Supersemar
Supersemar
The Supersemar, the Indonesian abbreviation for Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret was a document signed by the Indonesian President Sukarno on March 11, 1966, giving the Army commander Lt. Gen. Suharto authority to take whatever measures he "deemed necessary" to restore order to the chaotic situation...
document transferring power from President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
to General Suharto.
Early life
Jusuf was born in Kayuara, Bone, South Sulawesi on the 23rd June 1928.Not much is known about Jusuf's early life other than the fact he was a Bugis
Bugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...
aristocrat as witnessed by the titular name "Andi" in front of his name. Jusuf would later denounce his aristocratic background by dropping Andi from his name.
The Indonesian National Revolution
When Nationalist leaders, SukarnoSukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta
was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies . He was Indonesia's first vice president, later also serving as the country's Prime Minister. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of...
proclaimed Indonesia's Independence on 17 August 1945, Jusuf showed his support by joining the Devotion of the Indonesian People from Sulawesi (KRIS). Towards the end of 1945, with the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Government preparing to retake Indonesia, Jusuf and his fellow KRIS members sailed for Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
to join in the fighting .
Jusuf actually started his military career in the Navy, becoming the adjutant of Navy Lieutenant Colonel Kahar Muzakkar at the 10th Navy Staff Commando headquarters in Yogyakarta.
Sulawesi
By 1949, Jusuf had switched over to the Army, becoming a part of the Military PoliceMilitary police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
before becoming a member of the Eastern Indonesia Military Commission.
In 1950, Jusuf became the adjutant of Colonel Alexander Evert Kawilarang
Alexander Evert Kawilarang
Alex Kawilarang is an Indonesian national hero, a freedom fighter and founder of the military unit 'Kesko TT' in 1952. This was the earliest name of the now famous Indonesian special forces unit called Kopassus...
, the Commander of KODAM VII/ Wirabuana whose security brief covered the whole of Eastern Indonesia. In this position, Jusuf participated in putting down rebellions by the Republic of South Maluku (RMS). Jusuf then continued his military career, serving as a Regimental Chief of Staff in Manado
Manado
Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. Manado is located at the Bay of Manado, and is surrounded by a mountainous area. The city has about 405,715 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar...
, an Operations Assistant to the Commander of KODAM VII/Wirabuana, and the Head of the General Reserves.
Universal Struggle (Permesta)
During the mid-1950s there was a concern among the people of Sulawesi that the Central Government in Jakarta was not catering to their needs. They were calls made for decentralizationDecentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
in all aspects of Governance, ranging from economic development to security.
Being a soldier, Jusuf was interested in the decentralization of security matters and along with like-minded colleagues came to the conclusion that the Sulawesinese should be responsible for the security in their own region . Jusuf also showed concern by the fact that KODAM VII/Wirabuana's security brief covered all of Eastern Indonesia whereas the KODAMs in Western Indonesia had a specific area to cover.
This concern for decentralization culminated in the Permesta statement which was signed by important figures in Sulawesi (including Jusuf) on 2 March 1957. The statement also declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
in Eastern Indonesia. At this time, Jusuf became an operations officer for Permesta.
It was not long however, before Jusuf abandoned the movement. In May 1957, Army Chief of Staff Abdul Haris Nasution
Abdul Haris Nasution
In this Indonesian name, the name "Nasution" is a family name, and the person should be referred to by the family name "Nasution".Abdul Haris Nasution was an Indonesian general who was twice appointed Army Chief of Staff and who escaped an assassination attempt during the...
, authorized the formation of KODAM XIV/Hasanuddin, KODAM/South East Sulawesi and KODAM XVI/Udayana to cover the security of Sulawesi. With his request now fulfilled, there was no reason for Jusuf to stay with Permesta . Instead, Jusuf became a spy, reporting the results of meetings to the Central Government who were suspicious that Permesta was a separatist movement.
KODAM/South East Sulawesi
Jusuf dropped his charade with Permesta in May 1958 with his appointment as Commander of KODAM/South East Sulawesi. From his position, Jusuf assisted the Central Government in putting down the Permesta movement.KODAM XIV/Hasanuddin
In October 1959, Jusuf was transferred to KODAM XIV/Hasanuddin to become its Commander. As Commander of KODAM XIV/Hasanuddin, Jusuf was responsible for the security of South Sulawesi.Minister of Industry
In August 1964, Jusuf was named as Minister of Industry. Although this was a civilian post, it was not a surprise that Jusuf was appointed to this position as Sukarno had other members of ABRI in his Cabinet for reasons other than defense and security (Example: Lieutenant General Hidayat as Minister of Telecommunications and Ali SadikinAli Sadikin
Ali Sadikin was an Indonesian politician. He was often called Bang Ali. He served as the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, from 1966 to 1977. Appointed by a weak Sukarno, he likely had the full approval of Suharto. A former marine, he saw the city as a battlefield...
of the Marines serving as Minister of Transportation).
Supersemar
On 11 March 1966, Jusuf attended a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, the first since Sukarno reshuffled the Cabinet at the end of February. The meeting did not last long before Sukarno, after receiving a note from the Commander of his Bodyguards, suddenly left the room. When the meeting was over, Jusuf and the Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Basuki Rachmat, went outside the Presidential Place to join AmirmachmudAmirmachmud
Amirmachmud was an Indonesian Military General who was an eyewitness to the signing of the Supersemar document transferring power from President Sukarno to General Suharto.-Early life:...
the Commander of KODAM V/Jaya. Jusuf was then updated on what happened and was informed that Sukarno had left for Bogor
Bogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
by helicopter because it was not secure in Jakarta.
Jusuf then suggested that the three of them go to Bogor to provide from moral support for Sukarno. The three then went to the residence of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Suharto, the Commander of the Army who had established a position as Sukarno's strongest political opponent. According to Amirmachmud, Suharto asked the three Generals to tell Sukarno of his readiness to restore security should the President order it.
At Bogor, the three met with Sukarno who was unhappy with the security and with Amirmachmud's insistence that everything was secure. Sukarno then began discussing options with the three Generals before finally Sukarno then began discussing options with Basuki, Jusuf, and Amirmachmud before finally asking them how he can take care of the situation. Jusuf and Basuki was silent, but Amirmachmud that Sukarno give Suharto some powers and govern Indonesia with him so that everything can be secured. The meeting then disbanded as Sukarno began preparing a Presidential Decree.
It was dusk when the Decree that would become Supersemar was finally prepared and awaiting Sukarno's signature. Sukarno had some last minute doubts but Jusuf, together with the two Generals and Sukarno's inner circle in the Cabinet who had also made the trip to Bogor encouraged him to sign. Sukarno finally signed and handed Supersemar to Basuki to be passed on to Suharto.
There is controversy over Jusuf's role in Supersemar. One account states that Jusuf came to Bogor with a pink folder with Supersemar already pre-prepared on a paper with the logo of the Army on it and that there was four Generals instead of three; the fourth General being Maraden Panggabean
Maraden Panggabean
Maraden Saur Halomoan Panggabean or more commonly known as Maraden Panggabean was a prominent Indonesian General during the early years of General Suharto's New Order regime.-Early life:...
. Sukarno was then intimidated at gun point by Basuki and Panggabean before signing the pre-prepared Supersemar.
Jusuf also managed to get hold of a copy of Supersemar.
On the 13th March, Sukarno summoned Jusuf, Basuki, and Amirmachmud. Sukarno was angry that Suharto had banned the Communist Party of Indonesia
Communist Party of Indonesia
The Communist Party of Indonesia was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world prior to being crushed in 1965 and banned the following year.-Forerunners:...
(PKI) and told the three Generals that Supersemar did not contain such instructions. Sukarno then ordered that a letter be produced to clarify the contents of Supersemar but nothing ever came up apart from the copies that former Cuban Ambassador, AM Hanafi collected.
New Order
As the leadership of the nation changed from Sukarno to Suharto, Jusuf continued on as Minister of Industry. It was also noteworthy that although holding a civilian post, Jusuf's military career continued on as he continued to receive promotions from this position.ABRI Commander
In April 1978, Jusuf was appointed to the position of the Commander of ABRI while concurrently taking on the position of Minister of Defense and Security.As Commander, Jusuf was commissioned by Suharto to start a process of integrating (Memanunggalkan) ABRI with the people. Jusuf would later on say that he was not sure of what this order meant, but took it to mean that he was to make ABRI neutral in politics instead of taking Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...
's side. In this he was successful as in the 1982 Legislative Elections, Golkar did not get the active support from ABRI that it enjoyed in the previous two Legislative Elections that it competed in .
Jusuf was also responsible for the ABRI Enters the Villages (ABRI Masuk Desa) program. In this program, ABRI soldiers were sent to rural areas to help with infrastructure development.
During his term as Commander of ABRI, Jusuf developed a reputation as General who was interested in the welfare of his men. He regularly toured the regions to visit the soldiers and enquire about their families and conditions. This made him extremely popular in the ranks of ABRI at the expense of his relationship with Suharto, who began to saw Jusuf as a threat.
In 1982, a top officials meeting was held and attended by Suharto, Jusuf, and Amirmachmud who then served as Minister of Home Affairs. During the meeting, Amirmachmud commented on Jusuf's popularity and asked him to explain himself to Suharto. Sensing accusation behind the request, Jusuf lost his temper and promised Suharto that he never had any ambitions for power in doing his duties . Suharto's suspicion seemed to have hurt Jusuf and never attended Cabinet meetings until he was discharged from his position in April 1983.
Post Military Career and Retired Life
From 1983 to 1993, Jusuf served as Chairman of the State Audit Board (BPK). It was a job from which he expected to reach great things, considering his predecessor, Umar WirahadikusumahUmar Wirahadikusumah
was the fourth Indonesian Vice President; he served from 1983 to 1988.-Early life:Umar Wirahadikusumah was born on 10 October 1924 to Raden Rangga Wirahadikusumah and Raden Ratnaringrum...
who went on to become Vice President. However, that was the end of his involvement with the Government.
Jusuf had a close relationship with Jusuf Kalla
Jusuf Kalla
is an Indonesian politician who was the 10th Vice President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2009 and Chairman of the Golkar Party during the same period. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2009 presidential election.-Early life:...
and at one stage considered showing Kalla the copy of Supersemar which he retrieved from 1966. Jusuf changed his mind and showed Kalla as photocopied version instead.
When Jusuf announced his intentions to produce a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
on his life, there was widespread expectation on what his account of Supersemar would be like (out of the 3 Generals who witnessed the signing of Supersemar, only Amirmachmud had produced his account). At first, Suharto trusted Jusuf to publish the memoir on his own but changed his mind, asking Jusuf to let the State Secretariat publish it . Jusuf rejected this offer.
In his retired life, Jusuf was active in social activities and Headed a foundation in charge of running a mosque as well contributing to the running of a hospital.