Fahrul Rizal 1

Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

Policy for a better life in perspective of Aceh

Keywords: policy, education disparity, distrust, development.

Brief overview about policy

Policy is a concept of ideas which is built to prevent the undesired effects of
changes; consequently, policy is a representative of such interests as national security,
economic growth, welfare, humanity, etc closely related to a certain group of people.
Policy can not produce any goods and services but merely creates a convinced
environment so that the certain group of people gradually achieves their needs, develops
their capabilities and finds a new technology/idea in producing output.

Policy has time lag both in creating process and in affecting the environment;
moreover, creating process of policy usually is called as inside time lag, and outside time
lag is the required time for policy to affect the environment since it has been announced.

Furthermore, a good policy could be determined by how it stimulated the

environment and prevented a good change from any shocks, and how many people had
enjoyed the good change; for this reason, policy ought to satisfy everyone as long as it is
rational. A good policy also has power to insist anyone who has any irrational interests in
order to obey it; hence, a good policy is the policy that can be implemented and has
proved its contribution for a good change. Finally, a good policy has a time consistency
and secures everyone assets and efforts from any threats during the period.

Base on when it took place, policy could be classified as rules policy and
discretion policy. Rules policy can be an active or a passive policy according to how it is
ruled; if it is ruled to be changed in any different condition, it will be an active rules
policy; otherwise, if it is set to be flat during a certain period, it will be a passive rules
policy. Discretion policy is an active policy; however, this policy sometimes is too
progressive since it is not planned but solely responses a definite situation.

Furthermore, policy requires time in building and affecting a certain environment,

the postponement puts disadvantage for discretion policy because the situation probably
has changed when the policy is finished; nevertheless, rules policy would be a scenario
which had been planned long before shocks occur in order that would be more effective
than discretion policy. On other hand, discretion policy has time inconsistency since it is
depended on policymakers’ interests and political process so that would not guarantee
security during the period. Because too many exogenous variables those can affect
discretion policy, it becomes unpopular among developed countries; conversely, rules
policy secures environment through its time consistency so that reduces the distrust of
policymakers and political process.

History of policy in Aceh

Policy in perspective of Aceh people has been built since hundred years ago;
increasingly, Islamic influences shall be marked as the greatest contributor even has been
Fahrul Rizal 2
Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

diminished during Dutch colonization effort through such policy as secularism and
devide et empera.

At the beginning, a Muslim scholar and his followers (± 300 Malabar Mubaligh)
from Peureulak came when Aceh had faced China invasion; furthermore, they offered
favor to Raja Indra Sakti (the brother of Raja Indra Jaya) to attack the invader and had
succeed for the task, after that Aceh easily converted to Islam and adopted Sultanate
system into its bureaucracy. The characteristic of the bureaucracy since year 1200 until
year 1500 could be concluded as follows:
a) House of Representative contained by scholars and chieftains made
policies.
b) Sultan was able to guarantee the investment of his people and he also
provided compensation as much as necessary for the teachers.
c) The first educational system, Meunasah, was established in all villages so
that the quality of human resources was increasing rapidly.

Such beliefs and values as Sultan as father to people, Scholars and Chieftain as
mother to people, and people as children who have to obey their parents existed during
this period.

However, because of limited information and communication technology, the

development was not able to reach the people in rural area and this also causes education
disparity between people near capital and rural area; furthermore, it was reducing
government benefit in the long-run since education is one of the long-run investments by
government.

Not until modern age did Aceh begin to involve in global trading since early
1500s, during this period, Aceh had been one of the most favorable region for foreign
investment such kingdoms as Turk, Portugal, England, China and Dutch; moreover, it
had lead the changes in bureaucracy and economy structure affected by the increase in
the desired investment over the existing loan able funds. In order to respond the desired
investment, Aceh began to adopt many new technologies and public policies those are
mostly from Turk, started its scholarship program to Middle East cities (Istanbul,
Baghdad, Mecca, etc), and imported the scholars to educate Aceh. Many schools was
established such as meunasah (elementary school) in every villages, dayah (high school)
in several districts, dayah tinggi (academy) in some states, and darul irfan (university) in
the capital city; consequently, many war factories, ports and dockyards were established
at urban region as the respond of needs during the era.

In addition, Aceh was starting its reformation on human capital building,

government structure, education system, and military as the result of its contacts with
foreign countries. The revolution made Aceh people had to be pursuing skill and
technology too fast; once again, the limited transportation and communication tools
create the greater gap regarding education and production ability between people who
lived in urban area and rural area.
Fahrul Rizal 3
Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

In short, majority of people still did not able to gain knowledge and skill during
the period; as a result, this reformation era ended up in late 16 century and the chaotic era
was started.

Lack of knowledge and skill leads bureaucracy and development to be ineffective;

moreover, people are easily provoked to not obey the authority and if it occurs in long-
term it will begin the chaotic era.

In Aceh, people who have limited knowledge and skill always irrationally adore a
figure; furthermore, it will be difficult to manage them when their figure died without any
heir that they are worship. Civil war, sultan assassination, civil disobedience, and
protectorates uprising lead the beginning of chaotic era.

As the result, Aceh found itself as a bankrupt nation because of the uncontrolled
capital outflow; moreover, Dutch colony exploits the situation to invade Aceh and
destroys its hundred years Sultanate era by capturing and arresting the Sultan in 1904.
Effectively since 1904 until 1942, like any others Dutch colony, people in Aceh were
hard-pressed to produce raw materials those required by the industries in Holland;
therefore, job opportunities and human capital developments only toke place Holland.
During this period, only a few of Aceh people could gain the maximum satisfaction or
minimum welfare from their output.

In short, bureaucracy and development found their stagnation because Dutch

colony laws and policies were more rejected than in Sultanate era since it was solely
represented Dutch interests and was ignoring local interests.

In Indonesia era, policy implemented was a centralized policy until it became

decentralized after Suharto collapsed. For many years, people had been putted merely as
one of production factors then education only targeted to increase people ability to adopt
foreign technologies but not to maximize their ability to think and to observe their
aptitudes so that people can contribute ideas to the development.

Such policy as implemented in Indonesia has kept the education disparity in

Aceh; consequently, it breeds people distrust of policymakers and political progress for
hundred years, leads people to become more irrational such as disobedience without
purpose; moreover, people solely think the short-run objective since they are solely
treated as one of production factors. As a result, majority of the projects which aim long-
run investment in manufactures that are not closely related to local culture and
environment will face uprisings and disturbances, and will also bear high unexpected
economic costs and large social costs.

Ideally, policy should regard basic needs, growth with distribution, self-reliant
development, eco-development, and ethno-development which have been founded by
Aceh people through their experience during the beginning of Islam era. Islamic values
had introduced rights and ethics which can be relegated as follows:
Fahrul Rizal 4
Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

Rights and Ethics Brief description

Lying is one of the greatest sin, being honest is
Honest inevitable while being a Muslim1
Rasulullah [Muhammad SAW] not sermonize to us
except [he] utter, “Ad for people which do not
measure up to trust. And irreligious [of] people
which do not keep a promise." (Hadits reported by
Ahmad from Annas ra).
Trust Each and everyone which like collaborated in
betrayal will have flag on his bottom. Ad for that
flag as according to his betrayal rate. Remember,
[there] no betrayal of larger ones of
[done/conducted] betrayal a steward of public.
(Hadits reported by Muslim).
Each efforts have to be truthful and only expect the
Candid reciprocation from Allah2
Knowledge, justification, trade, etc have to be
Ethics converse relegated and conducted by an appropriate way3
Seeking others men mistakes in order to gain
Have to free heart from to feel to grudge personal prosperity or benefit is very forbidden4
The weakest is the one who wishes something from
past, the strongest is the one who advances and
eager to face any risks.

People of Mukmin (Mosleem) who have the

strength are better and the preferred [of] Allah than
[at] the weaker people of Mukmin. In everything
that there are kindliness. Yours stir your stumps to
Strength (Self-reliant) something worthwhile for you. Ask help to Allah!
Don't become as weak people! If you born down
upon something, hence yours shall not say, "I wish I
were mentioned [of] me [do/conduct] this and that"
However say, "Allah have determined destiny. And
Allah [do/conduct] what He desires. Because in fact
that lafazh lau (I wish I were) open opportunity of
deed of syaithan (satan/demon). (Hadits reported by
Imam Muslim)

Such as those rights and ethics had lead Aceh people found their Golden Ages
during the history, honored as a civilized people and respected power in Southeast Asia
region. Even now, we still find huge paddy fields area, fishponds area, salt-farm area,
many coconut fields, and many educational institutions such as Dayah which have
existed since hundred years ago; considering the small population numbers and the

1
“There are three men who will never enter the heaven: old-man who enjoying adultery, disingenuous
leader, and arrogant pauper” (Hadits reported by Al-Bazzar)
2
Real [of] us give food to you only to expect favors of Allah, we [do] not want reciprocation out of you
and [do] not also (words) thank you. (Al-Quran. Surah Al-Insaan (76): 9)
3
Real all of you [do] not will be able to gratify human being with estate all of you. But friendly face and
august behavior among all of you will be able to gratify them. (Hadits reported by Al-Bazzar).
4
It will not be gathered in a self [among/between] dirt in action fi sabilillah with the infernal hell heat. In a
self also will not gather [among/between] belief in Allah and feel to grudge. (Hadits reported by Al-
Baihaqi)
Fahrul Rizal 5
Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

simple tools those were used when it was built, we can imagine about their passion and
spirit in aiming their long-run growth regarding their culture and talent.

Nevertheless, Aceh had to face its declining ages since Sultanate system, which
can not be considered as one of Islamic values, was not able to use appropriately the
rights and ethics in human capital investment; moreover, Sultanate system is very
centralized in growth distribution so that noble families have large access for gaining
knowledge but common people are more restricted from it.

Finally, we have observed that Aceh people urgently require human capital
investment regarding their religion, culture, socio-economics, and nature; otherwise,
knowledge disparity and growth distribution disparity will sustain then will become as
threats for any investment.

Conclusion
1. Bureaucracy system and development program in Aceh were useless because they
were not equilibrated by collective human capital level.
2. Human capital level is securing the way of investment as well as its ability to
distribute growth/income fairly.
3. Using transitional technology is inevitable; consequently, development expects the
long-term planning concerning human capital level.
4. The short-term development ought to be easily understood regarding the current
human capital level.
5. Policy should prevent human capital development with distribution and lead the
cultural changes gradually.
6. Islamic education has proved its ability to stimulate Aceh people to become creative
and passionate in working hard; therefore, people during the era had establish an
advance civilization in agriculture, sea trade, and military regarding the period in
Southeast Asia.
7. Policy should be ruled; otherwise, it will not effectively secure any investments
because of distrust of policymakers and political progress.
8. Building human capital through Islamic values is unavoidable in now days since it
will appropriately respect local culture, environment, and promise time consistency in
development.
9. Human capital is the most important input for development progress and will
determine how good the policy does.
10. Policy, natural resources, capital, etc merely additional powers in development which
would be wasted without local human capital.

References:
1. Djamil, M. Junus: “Silsilah Tarawikh Raja-raja Kerajaan Aceh”, 1968.
2. Van den Berg, Hendrik: “Economic Growth and Development”, Part I, 2005
3. Mankiw, N. Gregory: “Macroeconomics”, Part III Chapter 13, World Publishers,
New York, 1997.
4. Syaikh Al-Ghazali, Muhammad: “Khuluqul Muslim”, Indonesian Edition,
Mustaqim, Jakarta, 2004.
Fahrul Rizal 6
Student of Master Degree Program - Regional Development Economics, Syiahkuala Univesity – Banda Aceh
Mobile: 62 81 360 819570

5. Chambers, Robert: “Ideas for development: reflecting forwards”, Institute of

Development Studies, Working Paper 238, Brighton-England, 2004.
6. Taylor, Peter., Deak, Andrew., Petit, Jethro., and Vogel, Isabel: “Learning for
Social Change – Exploring concepts, method and practice”, Institute of
Development Studies, England, 2006.