Prior to his capture, Jahja had pointed out to the Indonesian government in Yogyakarta that Java's small size made guerilla warfare difficult, and recommended that the government prepare a reserve base of operations in Bukittinggi. Mohammad Hatta accepted the proposal, sending some officers – including Jahja – to prepare the contingency plan. Following the 1948 Dutch offensive which resulted in the capture of the Indonesian government, the reserve base was activated and the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia under Sjafruddin Prawiranegara was formed after three days.