Sjahrir I Cabinet
Encyclopedia
The first Sjahrir Cabinet was the second Indonesia
n cabinet. It served from November 1945 to February 1946.
, which was the de facto legislature, that the cabinet be responsible to it, not to President Sukarno
. The existing cabinet was dismissed and Sutan Sjahrir
was asked to become prime minister. He agreed to do so on the condition he was allowed to select his own cabinet. The cabinet lineup was announced on 14 November 1945.
took over Amir Sjarifuddin's job as Minister of Information. On 7 January 1946, Soegiono Josodiningrat was appointed to replace Junior Minister People's Security Abdul Murad and the name of the ministry was changed to the Ministry of Defense.
and Sjahrir over the latter's readiness to compromise with the Dutch before their colonial army had left Indonesia. Tan Malaka demanded a cabinet of national unity which secured widespread public support, prompting Sjahrir's resignation on 28 February 1946.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n cabinet. It served from November 1945 to February 1946.
Background
The first Sjahrir cabinet was established following the 11 November 1945, demand from the Central Indonesian National CommitteeCentral Indonesian National Committee
The Central Indonesian National Committee or KNIP, was a body appointed to assist the president of the newly independent Indonesia. Originally purely advisory, it later gained assumed legislative functions...
, which was the de facto legislature, that the cabinet be responsible to it, not to 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...
. The existing cabinet was dismissed and Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir
Sutan Sjahrir , an avant garde and idealistic Indonesian intellectual, was a revolutionary independence leader...
was asked to become prime minister. He agreed to do so on the condition he was allowed to select his own cabinet. The cabinet lineup was announced on 14 November 1945.
Composition
None of the ministers had served in the previous cabinet. The government was intended to be inclusive, with representation from the nationalist and the religious parties, the latter grouping being represented by the PSII.Departmental Ministers
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: Sutan Sjahrir
- Minister of Home Affairs: Sutan Sjahrir
- Minister of Information: Amir SjarifuddinAmir SjarifuddinAmir Sjarifuddin Harahap, also spelled Amir Sjarifoeddin Harahap was a socialist politician and one of the Indonesian Republic's first leaders, becoming Prime Minister during the country's National Revolution. A Christian convert from a Muslim Batak family, Amir was a major leader of the Left...
- Minister of People's Security: Amir Sjarifuddin
- Minister of Finance: Soenarjo Kolopaking
- Minister of Education: Todung Sutan Gunung Mulia
- Minister of Justice: Soewandi
- Minister of Social Affairs: Adjidarmo Tjokronegoro
- Minister of Health: Dr. Darma Setiawan
- Minister of Welfare: Darmawan Mangoenkoesoemo
- Minister of Public Works: Putuhena
- Minister of Communications: Abdoel Karim
Deputy Ministers
- Junior Minister of Foreign Affairs: Harmani
- Junior Minister People's Security: Abdul Murad
Changes
There were several changes over the short life of this cabinet. On 5 December 1945, Minister of Finance Soenarjo Kolopaking and Minister of Social Affairs Adjidarmo Tjokronegoro resigned and were replaced by Soerachman Tjokroadisoerjo and Spedarsono respectively. On 3 January 1946, State Minister Rasjidi was appointed Minister of Religious Affairs, heading the new ministry established the same day. The following day, Muhammad NatsirMuhammad Natsir
Mohammad Natsir was a Islamic scholar and politician. He was Indonesia's fifth prime minister.After moving to Bandung from his hometown Solok, West Sumatra for senior high school, Natsir studied Islamic doctrine extensively. His first articles were published in 1929, and during the 1930s he wrote...
took over Amir Sjarifuddin's job as Minister of Information. On 7 January 1946, Soegiono Josodiningrat was appointed to replace Junior Minister People's Security Abdul Murad and the name of the ministry was changed to the Ministry of Defense.
The end of the cabinet
The Sjahrir cabinet fell as a result of the conflict between the Struggle Front of opposition politician Tan MalakaTan Malaka
Tan Malaka was an Indonesian nationalist activist and communist leader. A staunch critic of both the colonial Dutch East Indies government and the republican Sukarno administration that governed the country after the Indonesian National Revolution, he was also frequently in conflict with the...
and Sjahrir over the latter's readiness to compromise with the Dutch before their colonial army had left Indonesia. Tan Malaka demanded a cabinet of national unity which secured widespread public support, prompting Sjahrir's resignation on 28 February 1946.