The Veteran has departed. His final breath marked the end of a life whose pace had slowed in recent years. Farewell, Pak Hasjim, as you embrace freedom and enter a dimension of unimaginable beauty. The virtues you have planted and spread across generations, civilizations, and continents have surely transformed into a smooth pathway guiding you to a place of supreme magnificence. We are certain of it. We bear witness that your deeds have elevated countless individuals to distant lands and the pinnacles of civilization.
Pak Hasjim, we call you the Veteran of Indonesia’s Law of the Sea with good reason. Through your remarkable efforts and those of senior colleagues like Pak Mochtar Kusumaatmadja, you convinced the world of the validity of the Djuanda Declaration of 1957. With your skill and the aspirations of your peers, Indonesia earned a place on the global stage. The result was a monumental global agreement on the vast ocean, a Constitution of the Oceans known as UNCLOS 1982, now embraced by nearly all nations.
You were one of the midwives of its birth, a fact no one can deny. The renowned diplomats of the world, debating in the prestigious halls of the United Nations, ought to pause their disputes for a moment. Like us, they should bow their heads, reflect, and express gratitude as they bid you farewell.
Pak Hasjim, I vividly recall 2007, when I first met you in the UN building in New York. I was but a tiny speck among the throng of seasoned diplomats listening to your masterful recounting of the drama behind the birth of UNCLOS 1982. At the time, UNCLOS was celebrating its 25th anniversary, and you were one of only two individuals deemed worthy of illuminating its history. The UN dignitaries found no one more fitting, and so you shared the stage with Prof. Myron Nordquist of Virginia University.
As an Indonesian, I no longer felt like an insignificant speck in that grand UN building. I was a proud son of the equatorial archipelago, represented by Hasjim Djalal. The standing ovation and applause from the international diplomats energized me with the reminder that Indonesia is capable. The children of the archipelago can take part on the global stage. A Minangkabau native named Hasjim Djalal had become a beacon, guiding the youth of Nusantara to earn the world’s respect.
Pak Hasjim, I will never forget our conversation on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in 2013. You shared countless stories I had never heard before, many of which were confirmed by Mas Dino Djalal, who always spoke of you with pride. Mbak Dini and Mas Iwan undoubtedly feel the same. Your children, whom you often described as nurtured both intellectually and morally through the struggles of you and Ibu, are surely proud of their parents.
Thank you, Pak Hasjim. Your courage and persistence enabled nations with disputes in the South China Sea to sit together at one table. The workshop you introduced in the early 1990s on managing conflicts in the South China Sea was not just a forum but proof that diplomacy with a cool head remains a preferred choice among nations in the region. We all owe a debt of gratitude to your initiatives and those of your colleagues from that era.
Pak Hasjim, it feels like just yesterday that we celebrated your 80th birthday in Jakarta. Distinguished figures gathered to pay their respects, admiration poured from every corner, and prayers resonated from all directions. Pak Hasjim, you were a role model, embodying simplicity and humility. You showed that those who have resolved their inner struggles radiate wisdom effortlessly. There was no pursuit of honor, no craving for validation. For you, everything was already complete and perfect.
Pak Hasjim, perhaps you are now walking to a beautiful place—just as you used to walk home from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta, from the UN building in Manhattan to the building of the Permanent Mission of Indonesia in New York in 2007, or from a modest hotel in Monaco to the IHO building by the cold dock in 2015.
Walk peacefully, Pak. May our prayers pave a clean, unobstructed path for you. May our tributes become comfortable shoes for your journey to eternity. One thing is certain: we will be strong and mighty because of your boundless generosity in sharing. This perpetual charity is your provision for everlasting perfection. Farewell, Pak Hasjim.
I Made Andi Arsana
A proud student