Founded as the legal successor to the Masyumi Party, it came fourth in the 1971 Indonesian legislative election, winning 5.36% of the vote and 24 seats in the People's Representative Council.

[1][2] In the 1955 Indonesian legislative election, Masyumi did not perform as well as had been expected, despite coming second, and the party began a period of decline.

In November 1957, senior Masyumi figures Mohammad Natsir, Sjafruddin Prawiranegara and Burhanuddin Harahap, joined the rebels in the Sumatran city of Padang.

[5][6] In the early hours of 1 October 1965, there was an attempted coup against the government of Sukarno subsequently blamed on the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI).

[7] In December 1965, an organization called Badan Koordinasi Amal Muslimin (Muslim Charity Coordination Board) was set up.

In March 1966, Sukarno handed over authority to restore law and order to army head, and future president, General Suharto.

However it failed in its efforts to give legal force to the Jakarta Charter obliging Muslims to abide by Shariah law.

Djarnawi refused to accept this, and Suharto stepped in to "mediate", subsequently issuing a decree replacing the party board and installing Mintaredja, who was a Parmusi member and minister of state in the cabinet, as chairman.