Prabowo Subianto, in his book Military Leadership Notes from Experience Chapter I, discusses the courage and resilience of Indonesian knights throughout history. One of his role models is the first President of Indonesia, Bung Karno, who was known for his intellect, oratory skills, and organizational abilities.
Bung Karno was born in Surabaya in 1901 and founded the Indonesian National Party (PNI) at the young age of 26. He was arrested by the Dutch in 1929 for his writings that inspired nationalism among the Indonesian people. While in prison, he crafted his famous speech, Indonesia Menggugat (Indonesia Rebukes).
Exiled to Ende from 1938 to 1942, Bung Karno played a key role in Indonesia’s independence, formulating Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. Prabowo highlights two significant historical events in Indonesia’s formation – the proclamation of independence on August 17, 1945, and President Sukarno’s speech at the BPUPKI session on June 1, 1945, where he established Pancasila as the ideological foundation for the new state.
Despite being a political opponent of Bung Karno, Prabowo’s father, Professor Soemitro, acknowledged Bung Karno’s leadership in uniting diverse groups for the common goal of Indonesian independence. Professor Soemitro regretted leaving Bung Karno’s side and recognized the importance of flexibility in political stances.
Prabowo recalls a childhood memory of meeting Bung Karno at the Istana Merdeka, where he was struck by Bung Karno’s presence and charisma. The lessons learned from Bung Karno’s leadership serve as a reminder of the importance of unity, flexibility, and respect for divergent views among Indonesia’s ’45 Generation leaders.