Became a Civil Servant
The day came when the State of East Indonesia was proclaimed with Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekowati from Bali as the President. Mr Nadjamoeddin Daeng Malewa became the first Prime Minister. Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung was the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Pantouw was appointed as Minister of Information, while Dr S.J. Warrouw was the Minister of Health. I forgot the other chosen names.
I wanted to have a job. The Ministry of Information greatly attracted me. One day, I called on the Minister of Information whose wife had worked with me under Dr Warrouw. I stated my intention, and he told me to report at his office as soon as possible!
The next morning I reported to the office, and was accepted immediately! I became a civil servant! It was around twenty years after Amma Saga had stated her prophecy!
Soon I had familiarised myself with the job. It was something new. We had to build up. Yes, in cooperation with the Dutch. But, this way we were able to prevent impoverishment at least in this part of Archipelago.
People began to pay attention to their daily life again. Schools were opened again. Even, a University level for economics was started with Prof Dr Hanrath as the lecturer! (ed: Hasanuddin University was started as a part of Faculty of Economics from the University of Indonesia. Yet, the opening as a full university was launched on June 1956.)
As a simple woman who knew nothing about politics, I only saw the gradual progress coming over East Indonesia. People got properly dressed. Trade was started. In short, everyday life went on smoothly. Even students from Java came to study at our College of Economics.
Then, we considered organizing an exhibition of "East Indonesia Reconstruct" with blown-up photographs and all kinds of handicrafts. I was to travel with all the exhibits, ten or twelve huge boxes, by boat. We wrote a letter to the Minister of Information in Jakarta to render me the necessary assistance.
The Republic of Indonesia at that time was still based in Jogjakarta. President Soekarno and other leaders were kept under house arrest by the Dutch in Prapat, North Sumatera. So, Mr Assaat was the acting President.
Jakarta was like a beehive. At the former People's Council (Volksraad), a joint committee of the Republic and the Federal State of Indonesia (Dutch sponsored) was working for the acceptable solution. The representative of the State of East Indonesia, Andi Patoppoi, had his office there.
I got enough help to put up my exhibition. Tough quite inexperienced, I ordered invitation cards and sent them to many organizations, including to the Committee of Good Offices for Indonesia. The three members of this committee were chosen by different parties. Australia was chosen by the Republic of Indonesia, Belgium was chosen by the Dutch, and the USA was chosen by both Indonesia and the Netherland. The representatives were Mr Cochran (USA), Mr Critchley (Australia), and Mr Harremans (Belgium).
Mr Cochran honoured me with a visit though he had not the slightest idea of what he had come to see. Many people came. After a week, I packed everything. I should move to Bogor.
A young man from Bogor, the son of the wealthy family of the well known Tan Ek Goan bakery, came to my help. He was studying Economics in Makassar. Everything was loaded into his pick up, and we left for Bogor.
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