Yahya Muhaimin
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Yahya A. Muhaimin (17 May 1943 – 9 February 2022), also known as Jahja Muhaimin, was an Indonesian politician who served as Education Minister from 1999 to 2001.


Biography

Yahya was born on 29 September 1943 in Bumiayu and given the name A. Muhaimin. Yahya's parents were Djazuli (who later changed his name to Haji Abdul Muhaimin after going on the hajj), a
batik Batik is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. This technique originated from the island of Java, Indonesia. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a ''ca ...
merchant, and Zubaidah. At the age of 6, Yahya studied at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Ta`allumul Huda', an Islamic elementary school managed by his grandfather and several other family members. The following year he enrolled in Sekolah Rakyat Negeri 5 (SR-5), a state elementary school, on his own wishes. He was a student at both schools during the same period: from morning until noon he attended Ta`allamul Huda', then he continued at SR-5 until evening. For two years during this period he studied
tajwid In the context of the recitation of the Quran, ''tajwīd'' ( ar, تجويد ', , ' elocution') is a set of rules for the correct pronunciation of the letters with all their qualities and applying the various traditional methods of recitation (' ...
and read the
Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
after Subuh (during the dawn hours). In the next three years, Yahya learned
fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
,
tafsir Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
,
tarikh ''Taʾrīkh'' is an Arabic word meaning "date, chronology, era", whence by extension "annals, history, historiography". It is also used in Persian, Urdu, Bengali and the Turkic languages. It is found in the title of many historical works. Prior to ...
, and the
hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
s from several
ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
(scholars of Islam). Yahya was also active in scouting activities. He was a member of Pandu Islam, an Islamic scouting organization. He had been chosen as one of the representatives of the organization to take part in International Jamboree in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, the Philippines; however, his father forbade him from attending. After graduating in 1956 from SR-5 and Ta`allamul Huda' (the madrasah took one year longer) he continued to Sekolah Menengah Islam (Islamic junior high school) on his parents' orders, although he wanted to study at SMP Negeri Brebes (Brebes State Junior High School). After graduating from junior high school Yahya wanted to continue his studies in
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
. His father was not comfortable and wanted Yahya to study at Pesantren Gontor, but still he allowed Yahya to study there. In Yogyakarta, Yahya attempted to enroll at SMA Negeri 3/B. However, the registration deadline had passed and he was instead accepted at SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Yogyakarta, run by the Islamic organization Muhammadiyah. However, on the first day of studies, a messenger told him that he was to return home. The two went to Bumiayu first, and traveled to
Tegal Tegal is a city in the northwest part of Central Java of Indonesia. It is situated on the north coast (or ''pesisir'') of Central Java, about from Semarang, the capital of the province. It had a population of 239,599 at the 2010 Census and 276 ...
. There Yahya attended SMA Negeri 1 Tegal. At this school he was not comfortable because of the hot weather; plus he went to school at noon. In the end of August 1959 he returned home and told his father he wanted to transfer to SMA Negeri 1 Purwokerto, a wish his father granted. However, in Purwokerto he was rejected because there were no openings. The headmaster recommended that he enroll in a public high school first, and then attempt a transfer. Yahya registered at SMA Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, and after a quarter semester he was able to transfer to the state school. In the second year of high school Yahya won a scholarship to study in the US for one year (1962–1963) through an American Field Service International Scholarship. He flew from
Halim Perdanakusuma Air Vice-Marshal Abdul Halim Perdanakusuma (18 November 1922 – 14 December 1947), better known as Halim Perdanakusuma, was an Indonesian airman and National Hero of Indonesia. Biography Perdanakusuma was born in Sampang, Madura, Dutch E ...
, Jakarta, to Moline Airport, Illinois; he was then welcomed by the Hohn family, a family he lived with. From Moline they rode a car to Grand Mound,
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. There Yahya studied at Central Community High School (CCHS), De Witt. He had trouble when he wanted to find a mosque; the nearest mosque was in Cedar Rapids, 90 km from the Hohns' house. He became the secretary of Student Council in the school. Almost every Sunday he went to church accompanying the Hohn family praying. Starting in December he also made a speech in several places in the city which was a task from AFS. He met President Kennedy at
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
's yard in May 1963. Yahya went back to Indonesia in July 1963 after one year studying there. 5 months after his return to Indonesia Yahya wrote a letter telling that he was impressed by De Witt people and the letter was contained in ''The De Witt Observer'' edition 26 December 1963. After graduating from high school, Yahya enrolled at public administration department,
Gadjah Mada University Gadjah Mada University ( jv, ꦈꦤꦶꦥ꦳ꦼꦂꦱꦶꦠꦱ꧀ꦓꦗꦃꦩꦢ; id, Universitas Gadjah Mada, abbreviated as UGM) is a Public university, public research university located in Sleman Regency, Sleman, Yogyakarta (special region) ...
. Although the registration deadline had passed he was accepted because he was a returnee of AFS and was recommended by Department of Foreign Affairs. One year later he moved to international relations department. At this department he met Amien Rais and Ichlasul Amal. Later in February 1968 Yahya began to write thesis proposal. His supervisor was Soeroso Prawirohardjo, a Gadjah Mada chancellor candidate that time. Yahya was ordered to find and to read works written by
Daniel Lev Daniel Saul Lev (October 23, 1933 – July 29, 2006) was an American Political science, political scientist and scholar on Indonesia. Lev was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. In his youth, he participated in the Golden Gloves competitions for a ...
,
Herbert Feith Herbert Feith (3 November 1930 – 15 November 2001) was an Australian academic and world leading scholar of Indonesian politics. Background Born in Vienna, Austria in 1930, Feith witnessed oppression of the Jews and witnessed Kristallnacht in 19 ...
, and Guy Pauker as references for his thesis. From October 1968 until September 1969 Yahya (and was with Choifah after marriage) hunted the works in Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Jakarta; he obtained the works more than he should find such as works written by Harold Crouch, Max Millikan, Wilson McWilliams, General
A.H. Nasution General of the Army Abdul Haris Nasution ( Old Spelling: Abdoel Haris Nasution; 3 December 1918 – 6 September 2000), was a high-ranking Indonesian general and politician. He served in the military during the Indonesian National Revolution and ...
, and Soedjatmoko. He also could interview General A.H. Nasution, Lieutenant General
Ali Murtopo Ali Murtopo (23 September 1924 – 15 May 1984) was a prominent Indonesian general and political figure during the first half of General Suharto's New Order regime. Early life Ali Murtopo was born on 23 September 1924 in Kebumen, Central Ja ...
, and other generals. On 3 November 1968 he married Choifah, his childhood lover. His thesis was finished around one year and a half in December 1970. In February 1971 it was tested in a trial thesis and got passed. The same year as Yahya enrolled to Gadjah Mada University, he also signed up at comparative religion, IAIN Sunan Kalijaga; however in the third year he signed out because of the conflicted exam schedule. He also joined Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam and Ikatan Mahasiswa Muhammadiyah. Graduated from Gadjah Mada, Yahya was offered a lecturer position in international relations department by Soeroso, his former supervisor. Yahya initially rejected it; however, with some considerations he accepted it and taught there. In 1977 he wanted to study further and considered scholarship program such as
Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
,
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, and Rockefeller Foundation. He chose the latter as suggested by Soeroso and was accepted at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
, besides he applied at
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
and
Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...
. There, in
Greater Boston Area Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern ar ...
, Yahya met some Indonesian students studying in various universities; they then formed a community named Permasi (Persatuan Mahasiswa Indonesia; Indonesian Students Association) and Yahya was appointed the chairman. He also took some courses at Harvard and became the member of JOSPOD (Joint Seminar on Political Development Harvard-MIT) in 1980 which enabled him to meet
Alfred Stepan Alfred C. Stepan (July 22, 1936 – September 27, 2017) was an American political scientist specializing in comparative politics. He was the Wallace S. Sayre Professor of Government at Columbia University, where he was also director of the Cente ...
,
Robert Dahl Robert Alan Dahl (; December 17, 1915 – February 5, 2014) was an American political theorist and Sterling Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He established the pluralist theory of democracy—in which political outcomes are ...
, Samuel P. Huntington, and other professors. Yahya completed his college for around four years and eight months. He then continued to doctoral program and graduated in 1982.


Works and legacy

In 1973 his thesis was named as the best thesis by the university and was published as a book titled ''Perkembangan Militer dalam Politik di Indonesia 1945–1966'' by Gadjah Mada University Press. Yahya claimed that it was precisely because he was married to Choifah so she could help him in his thesis. Yahya's dissertation ''Indonesian Economic Policy, 1950–1980: the Politics of Client Businessmen'' was published as a book by LP3ES (Lembaga Penelitian Pendidikan dan Penerangan Ekonomi dan Sosial) and was renamed ''Bisnis dan Politik, Kebijakan Ekonomi Indonesia 1950–1980''. It was printed for 5,000 copies; three months later it was reprinted for 20,000 copies. He wrote on his dissertation that Indonesia in 1950–1980, although it used different political system—Parliamentary Democracy,
Guided Democracy Guided democracy, also called managed democracy, is a formally democratic government that functions as a ''de facto'' authoritarian government or in some cases, as an autocratic government. Such hybrid regimes are legitimized by elections th ...
, and New Order—the results remained the same. '' Tempo magazine'', on 11 May 1991, wrote "this is an outstanding achievement that have ever been accomplished in history of scientific books in Indonesia", while on 18 May Sofian Effendi, writing for ''Editor'', stated that it was "the best seller book". On 24 May 1991, however, Probosutedjo, a businessman who is also
Soeharto Suharto (; ; 8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian army officer and politician, who served as the second and the longest serving president of Indonesia. Widely regarded as a military dictator by international observers, Suharto l ...
's brother-in-law, sued the book's author because he felt maligned. He also demanded an apology from Yahya and withdrawal of the book from circulation. Yahya accepted the suit, although he was supported and was suggested to counter sue Probosutedjo by academics and lawyers such as Sofian Effendi (Gadjah Mada's chancellor at that time), Lucian W. Pye (Yahya's supervisor at MIT), Nono Anwar Makarim (legal adviser), and
Todung Mulya Lubis Todung Mulya Lubis, S.H., L.LM. (born July 4, 1949 in Muara Botung, Kotanopan, Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra) is a lawyer and activist in Indonesia. He founded The law firm ''Lubis Santosa and Maulana'' in 1986, later ''Lubis Santosa and Mara ...
(expert lawyer). One year later, Ismet Fanani claimed that the book was a copy of Richard Robison's ''Capitalism and the Bureaucratic State in Indonesia, 1965–1975''. However, Daniel Dhakidae, a Cornell graduate researcher writing for ''
Kompas ''Kompas'' () is an Indonesian national newspaper from Jakarta which was founded on 28 June 1965. The paper is published by PT Kompas Media Nusantara, which is a part of Kompas Gramedia Group. Its head office is located at the Kompas Multime ...
'' 22 November 1992 edition, states that both books are different.


Death

Yahya died in Purwokerto, Central Java on 9 February 2022, at the age of 78.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muhaimin, Yahya A. 1943 births 2022 deaths Indonesian Muslims People from Brebes Regency Government ministers of Indonesia People from Clinton County, Iowa