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| Kyai Haji Ajengan Ahmad Sanusi, A Traditional Kyai Figure from West Java, Indonesia (Special Document sukabumiNews) |
Activities During the Japanese Occupation
When the Japanese army entered the Sukabumi area, many
All activists helped identify the Dutch defense "center" in the area.
According to several sources cited by Mukhtar Mawardi, the Japanese expressed
their gratitude for this assistance through Muhammad Abdul Muniam Inada, who
visited him. On that occasion, he, on behalf of the Japanese occupation
government, proposed cooperation.
This offer of cooperation was not only made to KHA
Ahmad Sanusi; almost all Islamic leaders were also offered similar offers. KHA
Ahmad Sanusi himself seemed to have read the situation. He understood that with
the new rulers, there was no such thing as cooperation or non-cooperation.
For the Japanese occupation government, there was
either collaboration or elimination. Moreover, there was evidence that despite
their offers of cooperation, All was still disbanded by the Japanese. Based on
these considerations, he accepted the Japanese offer. Initially, many of his
followers were surprised by his attitude.
In 1943, he was appointed as a lecturer at a training
body for kyai and ulama established by the Japanese occupation government.
Early the following year, he was offered a position on the Bogor Residency
Advisory Council (Shu Sangi Kai). He then proposed that he would accept,
provided that the All be revived.
This request was quite extraordinary, considering that
at the end of 1943, the Japanese government had just formed the Indonesian
Muslim Consultative Council (Masyumi), which was essentially limited to
Muhammadiyah, representing the reformists, and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which was
considered to represent the traditionalists.
It turned out that KHA Ahmad Sanusi, along with Haji
Abdulhalim from Majalengka, two prominent figures from the traditional West
Javanese community, succeeded in convincing the Japanese occupation government
that they differed from Muhammadiyah and NU and that their organizations needed
to be revived. (58)
An interesting event occurred in late 1944. At that
time, the Japanese occupation government made significant changes at the
government level. Many new regional positions were given to high-ranking
aristocrats. One such position, Deputy Resident of Bogor, was given to KHA Ahmad
Sanusi. He was thus the only person from traditional Islamic circles to hold an
executive position. (59)
When Japan formed the Preparatory Committee for
Indonesian Independence, which later became the Preparatory Committee for
Indonesian Independence, KHA Ahmad Sanusi was selected as a member. During the
sessions discussing the form of the state and the draft constitution for the
proposed state, he demonstrated a broad perspective, comparable to that of
other figures who had received a Western education.
He was also able to offer suggestions and outlines
regarding the form of the state and its boundaries. For example, in a meeting
on July 10, 1945, he proposed a concept of a state he called
"imamat," which was nothing less than a republic. (60)
Later, in a heated debate over the inclusion of the
phrase "his religion" in Article 28, paragraph 1 of the draft
constitution, Sukarno again displayed a firm stance. At that time, Kyai Haji
Kahar Muzakir requested that the verse be devoid of religious overtones. Meanwhile,
Kyai Haji Maskur proposed including the phrase "according to his
religion."
Several non-Muslims objected to the inclusion of this phrase, prompting Ir. Sukarno, as a member of the sub-committee drafting the constitution, to remove the phrase and propose a vote, which was approved by Radjiman Wedioningrat, the chairman. (Continued to part 11)
Also Read Part (9): "Released Again"
Ibid
(58) Asia Raya, February 4, 1944; see also C.A.O. van
Nieuwenhuijze, Aspects of Islam in Post-Colonial Indonesia (The Hague: van
Hoewe, 1958), p. 154. On February 1, 1944, All was officially recognized as a
legal entity by the Japanese Occupation government, and its name was then
changed to the Indonesian Islamic Community Association (PUII). After that, KHA
Ahmad Sanusi, in addition to being appointed as a member of the Bogor Residency
Council, also served as a representative of Masyumi.
(59) Harry J. Benda. Crescent Moon and Rising Sun:
Indonesian Islam during the Japanese Occupation (Jakarta: Balai Pustaka, 1980),
p. 218.
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