Mohammad Natsir

Mohammad Natsir
Portrait of Natsir, c. 1954
5th Prime Minister of Indonesia
In office
6 September 1950 – 27 April 1951
PresidentSukarno
DeputyHamengkubuwono IX
Preceded by
Succeeded bySoekiman Wirjosandjojo
2nd Minister of Information
In office
29 January 1948 – 4 August 1949
PresidentSukarno
Prime MinisterMohammad Hatta
Preceded bySjahbudin Latif
Succeeded bySjafruddin Prawiranegara
In office
12 March 1946 – 26 June 1947
PresidentSukarno
Prime MinisterSutan Sjahrir
Preceded byAmir Sjarifuddin
Succeeded bySetiadi Reksoprodjo
Personal details
Born(1908-07-17)17 July 1908
Solok, Dutch East Indies
Died6 February 1993(1993-02-06) (aged 84)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Political partyMasyumi
Spouse
Nurnahar
(m. 1934; died 1991)
Alma materAlgemene Middelbare School
Occupation
  • Politician
  • scholar
AwardsNational Hero of Indonesia

Mohammad Natsir (17 July 1908 – 6 February 1993)[1] was an Islamic scholar and politician. He was Indonesia's fifth prime minister.

After moving to Bandung from his hometown Solok, West Sumatra for senior high school, Natsir studied Islamic doctrine extensively. His first articles were published in 1929, and during the 1930s he wrote for several Islamic-themed papers. He entered politics in the mid-1930s, rising through the ranks of Islamic parties. On 5 September 1950, he was chosen as prime minister, a term which he served until 26 April 1951. After his term as prime minister, he became increasingly vocal about Islam's role in Indonesia and was eventually arrested for doing so. Released in 1966 after the New Order government took power, Natsir continued to be critical of the government, eventually leading to him being banned from traveling. He died in his home in Jakarta on 6 February 1993.

Natsir wrote extensively on Islam, totaling 45 books and hundreds of articles. He viewed Islam as an intrinsic part of Indonesian culture and was disappointed by the Sukarno and Suharto government's handling of the religion. He was given three honorary doctorates during his lifetime, one from Lebanon and two from Malaysia. On 10 November 2008, Natsir was honoured as a national hero of Indonesia.

  1. ^ "Index Na-Ne".