National Hero Agus Salim Masters 6 Foreign Languages

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – National hero Agus Salim is known as a prominent Indonesian Islamic leader who possessed an extraordinary ability to speak six foreign languages. These language skills served as his primary asset in leading the national political movement and advocating for the recognition of Indonesia’s independence on the international stage.

Born in Bukittinggi on October 8, 1884, he grew up in a highly educated family and graduated at the top of his class from the Dutch-run HBS high school. In addition to speaking Minang, Indonesian, and Dutch, he was fluent in French, English, German, Japanese, Turkish, and Arabic.

He first put his language skills to use while working as a translator at the Dutch Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 1906 to 1911. Upon returning to his homeland, he decided to leave the colonial service to establish a school and become active in journalism and the national movement.

Through the Sarekat Islam organization, Agus Salim emerged as a firm Islamic leader in upholding party discipline. He led the purge of communist elements from the party and successfully changed the organization’s name to the Indonesian Sarekat Islam Party (PSII).

His political struggle at the national level continued when he was elected to the People’s Representative Council (Volksraad) from 1921 to 1924. Within the council, he was a vocal advocate for the people’s aspirations and a critic of the Dutch colonial government’s policies.

Following the 1945 Proclamation of Independence, his diplomatic skills played a crucial role in garnering support from Arab nations such as Egypt. For his significant role in formulating the nation’s founding principles and leading foreign diplomacy, he was dubbed “The Grand Old Man.”

After retiring from politics in 1953, this accomplished diplomat passed away on November 4, 1954, in Jakarta at the age of 70. The Indonesian government subsequently officially designated him a Hero of the National Movement in 1961.