By 1928 he had enrolled in a Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (junior high school) in the colonial capital of Batavia (now Jakarta); he wrote his first poems during this period.
Pada tahun 1928, ia bersekolah di Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (setingkat SMP) di ibu kota kolonial Batavia (sekarang Jakarta); ia menulis puisi-puisi pertamanya waktu itu.