Ghafar's statment 'unethical'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators and Moslem leaders have returned in
\nkind the tirade from Malaysian politician Tun Ghafar Baba,
\nadmonishing him for going too far in roasting the Indonesian
\nmedia for their coverage of Anwar Ibrahim.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Committee for World Moslem Solidarity (KISDI)
\nsaid on Monday that Ghafar's remarks showed his \"contempt for the
\nIndonesian government, people and media\". KISDI urged the
\nMalaysian embassy to send Ghafar home.<\/p>\n
The statement, signed by KISDI executive chairman A. Sumargono
\nand secretary Adian Husaini, was handed to a staff member at the
\nMalaysian embassy, which was closed on Monday for a national
\nholiday.<\/p>\n
Separately, legislator Sofyan Lubis, who is also the chairman
\nof the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI), said Ghafar
\nshould have displayed greater understanding of the Indonesian
\nmedia before making his statements in a news conference on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
\"What's on the news was not Anwar as an individual, but
\ndemocracy that is growing recently, including in Malaysia,\" the
\nlegislator of the Golkar faction was quoted by Antara news agency
\nas saying. His statement was unethical, Sofyan said. Another
\nlegislator, Farida Syamsi Chadariah, also deplored the comments.<\/p>\n
Ghafar slammed the media's support of Anwar -- who has been
\ndetained on charges including sodomy -- and sniped that Indonesia
\ncould have him because it seemed more receptive to homosexuals.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe he is more fitting to be a leader in Indonesia, because
\nI heard that it is OK to be homosexual here, but in Malaysia it
\nis against the law,\" said Ghafar, who was replaced by Anwar as
\nMalaysia's deputy premier in 1993 and is now retired.<\/p>\n
KISDI also took offense at Ghafar's aside that leading
\nIndonesian lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, who set up a pro-Anwar
\ngroup here, should not bother to collect money to help Anwar and
\nshould instead donate the money to the Indonesian people \"who
\nneed food\".<\/p>\n
\"(Ghafar) displayed his arrogance, saying that Indonesian
\npeople were the ones needing help and not Malaysia,\" the group
\nsaid. (aan)<\/p>",
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