Maibkatra — the Madjelis Agama Islam Oentoek Bantoean Kemakmoeran Asia Timoer Raja di Atjèh, or Islamic Council for the Welfare of Greater East Asia in Atjèh — was the official advisory council in religious affairs established by Resident lino on 10 March 1943 as the institutional vehicle through which the Japanese occupation enrolled the Atjèhnese oelama’s into the propaganda apparatus of the Asia Timoer Raja idea. Replacing the one-man advisory post held by Toeankoe Abdoel Azis as madjelis sōdan-yaku, Maibkatra gave the militant wing of the Poesa movement, for the first time in the history of Aceh, an officially recognised body through which to make its voice heard — and provided the Masubuchi-kikan with the religious infrastructure through which the occupation could be made palatable to the gampóng population.
From single advisor to council
In January 1943 Toeankoe Abdoel Azis, “hoofdkali” at Koetaradja, was appointed “official advisor (sōdan-yaku) in religious affairs for all of Aceh.” But because he “belonged to the more moderate oelama’s, so his appointment gave the radical oelama party, united in the Poesa, no influence on the course of events,” the Atjèh Shimbun of 23 January 1943 published an article by the pseudonymous “Pilot” arguing that the new function “would only fully serve its purpose ‘if Toean-koe Abdoel Azis would be assisted by a council consisting of some twenty oelama’s from all of Aceh’.” Two months later the Japanese authorities “acceded to this demand” and replaced the single advisor with an advisory council, “given the grand name of ‘Madjelis agama Islam oentoek bantoean kemakmoeran Asia Timoer Raja di Atjèh’” — abbreviated by its initial letters as Maibkatra.
The installation speech of 10 March 1943
The task of the new council was summarised by Resident lino in his installation speech of 10 March 1943 as “providing support — to the extent that it does not conflict with the Islamic religion — in the promotion of the welfare of Greater East Asia.” The speech laid out the five subjects the oelama’s were to impress upon the population, the fifth being “to advise the people ‘not to interfere in matters concerning the administration of the country and to point to the guideline provided by the Mohammedan religion of a pure and upright heart’.” “For hundreds of years,” the Resident exclaimed, “the peoples of Greater East Asia have been violated and drained by the white race. This evil deed will undoubtedly not be able to bear the approval of the Lord.” As chairman of the main board was appointed Toeankoe Abdoel Azis, with Teungkoe Moehamad Hasbi and Teungkoe Moehamad Daoed Beureu-éh as first and second deputies, Teungkoe Moehamad Joenoes Djamil as secretary, and — as the Japanese government advisors — S. Masubuchi and S. Yamamoto.
The oelèëbalang counter-weight
As early as 1 August 1943 the council was reined in. The gun-chó’s were appointed as advisors to the local departments, so that “for the oelèëbalangs, this step represented an important victory over the militant oelama’s, for it assured them, through the gun-chó functions, which for the most part they held, considerable influence on the policy of the ‘Maibkatra’.” From then on, the council “could be less easily used by the militant oelama’s for the achievement of their own purposes.” Its second annual conference, held at Koetaradja on 10 June 1944, was “entirely in the sign of the propaganda for the realization” of the three great Japanese war aims — defence, food production, and labour mobilisation — for, Piekaar observes, “who were better suited than the oelama’s to move the population through their religious dominance to an utmost exertion of strength for the good cause!”
Dissolution into Permai
Maibkatra, like the PETA militia and the Kapal Oedara Atjèh, was dissolved on 20 January 1945 into the new mass organisation Permai (the Atjèh-shii-min-koa-hōkō-kai). Yet the personal advisory position of Toeankoe Abdoel Azis continued despite formal abolition, and the Maibkatra’s departmental infrastructure — its branch boards in every sub-division, its religious-court network — survived as the institutional skeleton on which the oelama party would, after the Japanese capitulation of 15 August 1945, make its bid for power against the oelèëbalang class.
See Also
- lino
- Masubuchi
- Abdoel Azis
- Teungkoe Moehamad Daoed Beureu-éh
- Teungkoe Moehamad Hasbi
- Poesa
- Permai
- Atjèh Council
- Atjèh Shimbun
- 10 March 1943
Source
Atjèh and the War with Japan, by Dr. A. J. Piekaar, translated from the Dutch original Atjèh en de oorlog met Japan (1949) (‘s-Gravenhage/Bandung: N.V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve; English edition), Glossary and Chapter VII §§ 2–3, Chapter IX § 1.
Maibkatra — the Madjelis Agama Islam Oentoek Bantoean Kemakmoeran Asia Timoer Raja di Atjèh, or Islamic Council for the Welfare of Greater East Asia in Atjèh — was the official advisory council in religious affairs established by Resident lino on 10 March 1943 as the institutional vehicle through which the Japanese occupation enrolled the Atjèhnese oelama’s into the propaganda apparatus of the Asia Timoer Raja idea. Replacing the one-man advisory post held by Toeankoe Abdoel Azis as madjelis sōdan-yaku, Maibkatra gave the militant wing of the Poesa movement, for the first time in the history of Aceh, an officially recognised body through which to make its voice heard — and provided the Masubuchi-kikan with the religious infrastructure through which the occupation could be made palatable to the gampóng population.
From single advisor to council
In January 1943 Toeankoe Abdoel Azis, “hoofdkali” at Koetaradja, was appointed “official advisor (sōdan-yaku) in religious affairs for all of Aceh.” But because he “belonged to the more moderate oelama’s, so his appointment gave the radical oelama party, united in the Poesa, no influence on the course of events,” the Atjèh Shimbun of 23 January 1943 published an article by the pseudonymous “Pilot” arguing that the new function “would only fully serve its purpose ‘if Toean-koe Abdoel Azis would be assisted by a council consisting of some twenty oelama’s from all of Aceh’.” Two months later the Japanese authorities “acceded to this demand” and replaced the single advisor with an advisory council, “given the grand name of ‘Madjelis agama Islam oentoek bantoean kemakmoeran Asia Timoer Raja di Atjèh’” — abbreviated by its initial letters as Maibkatra.
The installation speech of 10 March 1943
The task of the new council was summarised by Resident lino in his installation speech of 10 March 1943 as “providing support — to the extent that it does not conflict with the Islamic religion — in the promotion of the welfare of Greater East Asia.” The speech laid out the five subjects the oelama’s were to impress upon the population, the fifth being “to advise the people ‘not to interfere in matters concerning the administration of the country and to point to the guideline provided by the Mohammedan religion of a pure and upright heart’.” “For hundreds of years,” the Resident exclaimed, “the peoples of Greater East Asia have been violated and drained by the white race. This evil deed will undoubtedly not be able to bear the approval of the Lord.” As chairman of the main board was appointed Toeankoe Abdoel Azis, with Teungkoe Moehamad Hasbi and Teungkoe Moehamad Daoed Beureu-éh as first and second deputies, Teungkoe Moehamad Joenoes Djamil as secretary, and — as the Japanese government advisors — S. Masubuchi and S. Yamamoto.
The oelèëbalang counter-weight
As early as 1 August 1943 the council was reined in. The gun-chó’s were appointed as advisors to the local departments, so that “for the oelèëbalangs, this step represented an important victory over the militant oelama’s, for it assured them, through the gun-chó functions, which for the most part they held, considerable influence on the policy of the ‘Maibkatra’.” From then on, the council “could be less easily used by the militant oelama’s for the achievement of their own purposes.” Its second annual conference, held at Koetaradja on 10 June 1944, was “entirely in the sign of the propaganda for the realization” of the three great Japanese war aims — defence, food production, and labour mobilisation — for, Piekaar observes, “who were better suited than the oelama’s to move the population through their religious dominance to an utmost exertion of strength for the good cause!”
Dissolution into Permai
Maibkatra, like the PETA militia and the Kapal Oedara Atjèh, was dissolved on 20 January 1945 into the new mass organisation Permai (the Atjèh-shii-min-koa-hōkō-kai). Yet the personal advisory position of Toeankoe Abdoel Azis continued despite formal abolition, and the Maibkatra’s departmental infrastructure — its branch boards in every sub-division, its religious-court network — survived as the institutional skeleton on which the oelama party would, after the Japanese capitulation of 15 August 1945, make its bid for power against the oelèëbalang class.
See Also
- lino
- Masubuchi
- Abdoel Azis
- Teungkoe Moehamad Daoed Beureu-éh
- Teungkoe Moehamad Hasbi
- Poesa
- Permai
- Atjèh Council
- Atjèh Shimbun
- 10 March 1943
Source
Atjèh and the War with Japan, by Dr. A. J. Piekaar, translated from the Dutch original Atjèh en de oorlog met Japan (1949) (‘s-Gravenhage/Bandung: N.V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve; English edition), Glossary and Chapter VII §§ 2–3, Chapter IX § 1.