Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Before ruling for 32 years in Indonesia, Suharto’s childhood was far from easy. His youth was shrouded in poverty and he grew up far from the love of his parents. Not only that, he also often gets bullied by his friends.
Soeharto’s unfortunate fate began not long after he was born on June 8 1921. When he was still a baby and needed parental protection, Soeharto had to swallow a bitter pill: his parents, Kertosudiro and Sukirah, decided to divorce.
Both of them soon remarried to new partners. Soeharto would later have a half-father, mother-sister. Luckily, after the divorce, Suharto received care from his uncle, Prawirowihardjo.
In an autobiography entitled My Thoughts, Sayings and Actions (1989), Suharto admitted that he received good upbringing. His uncle considered him his own child. However, his life was still not very smooth and he was mired in poverty.
He traveled several times wearing shabby clothes. Regarding clothes, he also had it prank his own brother. This story begins when his great-grandfather was sewing clothes.
Suharto, who was still small and innocent, immediately wore the clothes with great joy. In fact, there was no mention that the new clothes were given to Suharto. Sure enough, when he was wearing clothes, his great-grandson asked Suharto to take off the clothes to give to his other grandchildren.
“I felt humiliated. I was devastated, very sad,” said Soeharto, recalling the incident.
Another treatment that made his childhood life even harder when he often received it bully from his friends. When playing, he was often called “Den good dunghill”. “Mabul feces” means dry feces. Meanwhile, “Den” is a joke because the great-grandfather who raised him had ties to the palace.
“I always refuse to be called that. However, they keep annoying me. How is this, are they mocking or are they just joking by calling me “Den”?” Soeharto said.
In his autobiography, Suharto admitted that he was saddened by such treatment. The bullying made the burden of his life, which at that time was impoverished, even heavier. It was only when he grew up that the suffering began to disappear one by one.
Even though he lived without parental love and was full of difficulties, Suharto, who was known as a quiet figure, was lucky to be sent to school by his foster parents. In RE Elson’s notes in Suharto: A Political Biography (2005), it is recorded that he had attended school, although only up to Middle School (Shackel School).
After graduating from school, Soeharto immediately looked for work when he was in his teens. Unfortunately this is also not smooth. He used to work at the village bank, but because it wasn’t passionHe didn’t feel comfortable and decided to resign.
After that, he became unemployed and lived a lonely life. During this time, he was a mosque administrator. Only then did his life start to get really good when he became a KNIL soldier or the Royal Dutch East Indies Army.
Becoming a soldier changed Suharto’s life immediately. Every month he received a salary of 60 guilders. With that money, he can buy new clothes and support himself and his family. In short, he was able to rise from poverty.
Later, working as a soldier would also be the entry point for him to follow the path of success. Suharto, who had lived a difficult life, later became known as the 2nd President of Indonesia.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
(mfa/mfa)