Soekiman Wirjosandjojo

Soekiman was born in Sewu, today within Surakarta, on 19 June 1898.[2][lower-alpha 1] He was the youngest of fourth children. Soekiman's father, Wirjosandjojo, was a rice merchant.[3] Wirjosandjojo had a business relationship with a Dutch armed forces veteran, and through his help Soekiman could enroll at an Europeesche Lagere School (ELS) in Boyolali, normally reserved for Europeans and native nobility. After completing ELS and later he continued his education to the medical school STOVIA in Batavia.[5] During his time at STOVIA, Soekiman had been active within Jong Java, which was founded by his older brother Satiman Wirjosandjojo.[2][6]

Graduating from STOVIA in 1923, he considered working for the colonial train company, but his father convinced him to continue his medical school at Amsterdam University and provided financial support.[5] Also in 1923, Soekiman married Kustami, and the two had a son before Soekiman departed for the Netherlands.[7] In Amsterdam, he studied internal medicine.[4][5] He was active inside the Indonesian students' organization Indonesische Vereniging during his foreign studies, serving as the organization's chairman between 1924 and 1925.[8][9] Under Soekiman, the Vereniging translated its official name to Perhimpoenan Indonesia, and also renamed its magazine from Hindia Poetra ("Son of the Indies") to Indonesia Merdeka ("Independent Indonesia").[10]

Returning from the Netherlands, Soekiman moved to Yogyakarta and initially worked in a hospital run by Muhammadiyah. After two years, he left the hospital and opened a private practice in Bintaran. He was known for his skills in treating lung illnesses and would often give discounts or free treatments for poorer patients.[11]

In 1927, Soekiman joined the Partai Sarekat Islam (PSI).[12] Along with Sukarno, Soekiman co-founded the Association of Political Organisations of the Indonesian People (PPPKI) in an attempt to unite and coordinate the various Indonesian nationalistic political parties and organizations.[13][14] However, tensions quickly emerged between PSI and other PPPKI members, as PSI was seen as putting Islam above Indonesian nationalism[lower-alpha 2] to the point where many PPPKI members called for PSI to be expelled from the organization, despite PSI's renaming to Partai Sarekat Islam Indonesia (PSII) in January 1930. In response to the calls, Soekiman called PPPKI an "imperialistic" organization at PSII's 1931 congress.[14] In spite of the public disagreements, Soekiman maintained a good personal relationship with secular nationalistic figures such as Mohammad Hatta. When Soekiman launched the nationalist Utusan Indonesia newspaper in 1932, he asked Hatta to become its chief editor.[2]

Soekiman attempted to defend the rights of around 900 PSII members laid off by a colonial government-owned pawnbroking network and succeeded in lobbying for severance pay and secured first priority for the employees to be rehired. However, he did not consult PSII's senior leaders such as H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto and Agus Salim before his efforts. This was used as the reason for his expulsion from the party in March 1933.[15] Soekiman had longstanding disagreements with PSII's noncooperative stance with the colonial government, and after he was expelled he formed the Partij Politiek Islam Indonesia (PARTII) with Muhammadiyah's support.[1][16] PARTII failed to garner popular support, however, and was disbanded before long.[1][17] Following Tjokroaminoto's death, Soekiman briefly rejoined PSII in 1937, before leaving in 1938 and founding another political party, the Indonesian Islamic Party (PII).[1][18] He took part in the founding of Majelis Islam A'la Indonesia (Indonesian Islamic Assembly, MIAI) which was intended to serve as a federation of various Islamic organizations.[19][20] Along with his brother Satiman, Soekiman also initiated the formation of an Islamic higher education institute, establishing several pilot projects in 1939 and 1940 before the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies interrupted their growth.[21]

Early on in the occupation, Soekiman became inactive in politics due to a ban on various political organizations including MIAI.[22] Once MIAI was allowed to operate again in September 1942, Soekiman became one of its leaders along with Harsono Tjokroaminoto and Wondoamiseno,[23] until it was once again shut down in late 1943.[22][24] Aside from MIAI, he was also active within the propaganda organization Pusat Tenaga Rakyat as an appointed member.[25][23]

Soekiman was later also listed as a member of the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (BPUPK).[26] After the committee had drafted the Jakarta Charter, Soekiman supported Wahid Hasyim's proposal to formally establish Islam as a state religion, and require that any future elected presidents and vice presidents be Muslim. Initially, other committee members from nationalist and secular parties agreed to Hasyim's proposal. However, before the proposal could be formalized, the Japanese reformed BPUPK into the smaller Preparatory Committee for Indonesian Independence (PPKI). Soekiman did not become a member of this committee, and PPKI members cancelled Hasyim's proposal, allowing non-Muslims to serve as president and establishing Indonesia's lack of a formal state religion.[27] Beyond this matter, Soekiman also discussed the legal structures of the future People's Consultative Assembly and on the legal rights of citizens within the Constitution of Indonesia.[28]

Following the proclamation of Indonesian independence on 17 August 1945, Soekiman on 22 August was appointed as one of the members of the leadership committee of the Indonesian National Party (PNI), at that time the only permitted political party under the new government. This was not to last, as on 3 November the government issued a declaration calling for the formation of other political parties.[29] Just days later, the Indonesian Muslim Congress was held in Yogyakarta on 7 November, and the Masyumi Party was founded with Soekiman elected its first chairman.[30][31] Aside from Soekiman, former members of PII dominated Masyumi's first leadership committee.[32] Despite this, however, Soekiman in a speech concluding the congress lambasted the government's decision to allow formation of more political parties, claiming that such a move would divide the nation.[31]

Soekiman was opposed to the formation of Sutan Sjahrir's first cabinet, which he considered to be a constitutional violation.[33] Masyumi had declared in its founding congress that it was opposed to the emerging parliamentary system of government, as the constitution approved less than a year prior had mandated for a presidential system for Indonesia.[34] Along with Tan Malaka's Persatuan Perjuangan (PP) organization, Masyumi placed itself in opposition to Sjahrir's government until March 1946, when a number of PP members were arrested. Following the arrests, Masyumi's hostility to the government softened.[35] Soekiman still criticized the formation of the Second Sjahrir Cabinet in February 1946, despite having been involved in determining its composition.[36] On 3 July 1946, Soekiman visited the presidential palace, apparently believing that President Sukarno was to make an announcement. Once he spoke with Vice President Mohammad Hatta, however, he was informed that there was an attempted coup against Sjahrir's cabinet by Mohammad Yamin and several military officers. Upon learning of the fact, he left the palace immediately, with the coup failing and its plotters arrested.[37]

Soekiman (second from left) as part of the Indonesian delegation during the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference.

Increased Dutch military activity starting from the end of 1946 forced Sjahrir into the negotiating table, and the Linggadjati Agreement was signed on 15 November 1946. Soekiman's Masyumi opposed the agreement, seeing it as too accommodative to Dutch demands, to the point where Soekiman declared his intention to overthrow Sjahrir's government by force.[38] After the collapse of Sjahrir's third cabinet on 27 June 1947, Soekiman was appointed by Sukarno as one of four formateurs (along with Amir Sjarifuddin, Adnan Kapau Gani, and Setyadjit Soegondo) to form a new government. Soekiman, believing that Masyumi had significant popular backing, demanded several important posts be held by Masyumi members. The other three formateurs rejected his demands, and Sukarno decided to revoke Soekiman's mandate as formateur. The remaining three formateurs organized the First Amir Sjarifuddin Cabinet.[39] Sjarifuddin was generally hostile towards Masyumi, and thus he appointed ministers such as Wondoamiseno and Arudji Kartawinata originating from the Masyumi splinter party PSII.[40]

The hostility between Sjarifuddin and Soekiman continued until the Dutch Operation Product in July 1947, which forced both parties to compromise and Sjarifuddin agreed to appoint several Masyumi members into his cabinet. Regardless, his cabinet collapsed following Masyumi's loss of support later on following the Renville Agreement, and Soekiman was appointed Interior Minister within the succeeding First Hatta Cabinet.[41] Soekiman's appointment was well-received by Islamic organizations, and the Dutch even mistook Soekiman as the leader of the emerging Darul Islam movement.[42] Soekiman later took part in the Indonesian delegation for the negotiations regarding the transfer of sovereignty in 1949.[43]

Official portrait of Soekiman, c. 1956.

After his resignation as prime minister, Soekiman was appointed as chair of Masyumi's electoral committee, tasked with devising Masyumi's strategy in facing the 1955 Indonesian legislative election.[70] Soekiman was once more appointed as cabinet formateur on 29 July 1955 after the collapse of the First Ali Sastroamidjojo Cabinet, this time with PNI's Wilopo and Masyumi's Assaat, but the trio failed to form a cabinet and their mandate was returned by 3 August.[71] He also became a member of the Constitutional Assembly of Indonesia.[72]

In 1958, Natsir along with a number of other Masyumi leaders joined the seditious Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI), triggering an internal split within the remaining leaders of the party. Soekiman attempted to lobby other Masyumi leaders into condemning Natsir's actions, but pro-Natsir politicians such as Prawoto Mangkusasmito blocked his attempt and thus the party limited its public statements against Natsir, simply referring to the PRRI movement as unconstitutional.[73] Prawoto's faction took over the party's leadership following the 1959 Masyumi congress, leaving just Soekiman holding his post as deputy chairman.[74] In 1960, Soekiman was invited to join the newly formed People's Representative Council of Mutual Assistance by Sukarno. However, he publicly rejected this invitation, likely displeasing Sukarno as the two never met face to face afterwards.[75] Soekiman decided to retire from politics, allowing him to evade widespread arrests of former Masyumi leaders during the early 1960s as the government saw him as a non-threat.[76] He floated the idea of forming a new Islamic party after Suharto became president, but shelved his plans after consulting with authorities within the New Order.[77]

Soekiman died at around 11:30 AM on 23 July 1974 in his home in Yogyakarta. Following his own request to be buried near Ki Hadjar Dewantara, Soekiman was interred the following day within the Taman Siswa cemetery in Yogyakarta.[78][79] He had three sons and a daughter.[80]