Who is Tan Malaka?

Tan Malaka is the founding father of Indonesia who is often overlooked. He was the first person to write the concept of the Republic of Indonesia in his book "Naar de Republiek Indonesia" (Towards the Republic of Indonesia) in 1925. Throughout his political career, Tan Malaka often changed his name and appearances in order to evade the Dutch colonial authorities. However, his life ended tragically at the hands of the soldiers of the Republic he helped to found.

After being removed by Sukarno, the New Order government further suppressed Tan Malaka's historical role and erased him from the collective memory of the Indonesian people. Although Tan eventually broke with the Indonesian Communist Party, he was often associated with the party, which was considered the "eternal enemy" of the New Order.