Anwar Tjokroaminoto

Oetarjo Anwar Tjokroaminoto (3 May 1909 – 16 November 1975) was an Indonesian politician and journalist. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United Development Party. He also served as Minister of Social Affairs for a year in the Wilopo Cabinet and was the Prime Minister of Pasundan for less than a month in 1950.

Son of Indonesian nationalist and Sarekat Islam founder H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto, he studied journalism in his youth and for some time worked in schools affiliated with his father's political party PSII before working for newspapers. He worked for the Asia Raya newspaper during the Japanese occupation period, and he was also managing editor for Pemandangan. After Indonesian independence, Tjokroaminoto entered politics through the Masyumi Party, serving briefly as a minister before moving to PSII. He was part of the government of the State of Pasundan and was appointed prime minister, though suspicions after the APRA coup d'état resulted in Pasundan's dissolution shortly afterward.

Tjokroaminoto then rejoined the government as a legislator, and by 1952 he obtained a cabinet post as Minister of Social Affairs in the Wilopo Cabinet where he was reshuffled after a year. PSII later fractured in 1972, and Tjokroaminoto became a leader in one of the two competing factions until he died in 1975.

Early life and education Oetarjo Anwar Tjokroaminoto was born in Surabaya on 3 May 1909, as the second child and eldest son of Oemar Said Tjokroaminoto. He was educated in Dutch schools (an ELS and a MULO) before later enrolling at Douwes Dekker's Teacher's Training School, where he studied journalism and graduated in 1940. Additionally, he also studied at pesantren in Rembang and Garut.

In the immediate aftermath of the Japanese invasion and seizure of the Indies, Tjokroaminoto wrote essays in support of the Japanese. In April 1942, he also voiced his support in Pemandangan for the shift of time zones in Java to fit Tokyo and in an essay of May 1942, titled Lebih Loeas Lagi (Broader Still), he supported the Japanese-sponsored ideology of Pan-Asianism, though with a strong influence of Islamism. During the Japanese occupation period, Tjokroaminoto worked at the Japanese-sponsored newspaper Asia Raya as deputy chief editor. While being attached to the military, he acted as chief editor of the army news magazine. Within the month, however, the APRA coup d'état led by Raymond Westerling rocked Jakarta, and the United States of Indonesia government immediately suspected the State of Pasundan's government as having supported Westerling, leading to the arrest of Tjokroaminoto and his cabinet and eventually the dissolution of Pasundan. Despite this arrest, he joined the newly formed DPR-RIS as a legislator and retained his seat following the defederalization of the state.

By 1952, however, Tjokroaminoto had been appointed as Minister of Social Affairs under the Wilopo Cabinet. In May 1953, due to political tensions between PSII and Wilopo in the aftermath of the 17 October Affair, Tjokroaminoto was withdrawn from the cabinet, and he was later replaced by R.P. Soeroso. Tjokroaminoto won a legislator seat representing South Sumatra in the 1955 legislative election.

In 1966, the last year of Sukarno's presidency, Tjokroaminoto criticized the government's (Dwikora Cabinet) foreign policy, especially under foreign minister Subandrio. His statement pointed at Indonesia's isolation internationally (due to the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation), in addition to heavy deficits and inflation. He then called for the formation of a proper representative cabinet, instead of the interim cabinet then.

Within PSII, Tjokroaminoto's political position had been eroded due to perceived dynastic politics, and poor performance in the 1971 legislative election culminating in his removal as chairman in July 1972. In the ensuing internal party conflict, PSII (then merged with other Islamic parties to form the United Development Party in 1973 with Anwar recorded as one of the founders, leaving the original Sarekat Islam organization) was fractured into two organizations, one of which was led by Tjokroaminoto and and was more favoured by the incumbent New Order administration.

In 1973, he was sworn in as a member of the Supreme Advisory Council.

Tjokroaminoto died on 16 November 1975.