THE portrait we have from the early twentieth century makes Mas Wahidin Sudirohusodo look like part of limp Java. Or tamed. He certainly is not handsome, head held proud. He looks as though he is striking the posture of someone extremely polite. No manly moustache to be seen. And the Javanese headdress he is wearing has surely seen better days.

Sometimes I just don’t understand why this “Javanese doctor” became the main figure of National