A role for ICMI
A role for ICMI
There are at least three aspects of last week's congress of
the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) which
deserve the nation's attention. First, the re-election of B.J.
Habibie, one of this country's most active and important
scholars; second, the composition of the organization's new
executive board, which consists of many intellectuals from many
different circles; and, third, the organization's attitude toward
the challenges currently facing the nation.
Habibie's re-election was quite predictable for long-time
observers, since he has become an inseparable part of the
organization. His name has almost become synonymous that of ICMI.
The congress proved that Habibie's popularity is intact. The
support he enjoyed from the vast majority of delegates showed
that most of the organization's membership still cannot imagine
what would become of ICMI without Habibie.
President Soeharto, who has since the beginning been chairman
of ICMI's board of patrons, did not intervene in the election of
the new board. Nevertheless, his clout in the organization and
Habibie's closeness to him has been significant. In a society in
which paternalism is still dominant, to have an ally in someone
who enjoys such extraordinary influence and unchallenged
leadership means to be secure for an indefinite period.
The inclusion in ICMI's new leadership of so many politicians
and former politicians shows that the organization wanted to
recruit as many intellectuals and members of the ruling elite as
possible in order to implement its programs. The variety of
people on the new executive board is extraordinary. The board now
includes people like Dr. Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, the country's
most senior economist, who has never been noted as showing any
particular attention to religious concerns.
The question of the intensity of one's religious devotion is
apparently not an overriding consideration for ICMI, which works
on an Islamic platform, presumably because an executive's ability
to uphold and promote the organization's programs is considered
to be of greater importance. ICMI is evidently trying hard to
impress upon the public that it is a program-oriented and viable
organization.
The challenges which are faced by ICMI, as listed by the
organization at the congress, are those which are also being
faced by the nation as a whole. They include a lack of openness,
weaknesses in the system of control over the administration,
poverty, economic and social disparities, human rights violations
and the question of democracy.
These are all national problems which should be addressed with
some urgency.
It was quite heartening to hear the organization's statement,
made public at the end of the congress. It demonstrated that the
intellectuals grouped in ICMI are paying a good deal of attention
to the problems of the people at large. And, judging from the
large number of high-ranking government officials in the
organization, we do not foresee any difficulties for ICMI in
carrying out its programs.
ICMI should be able to stand at the front line in combating
the problems which are confronting the nation. The position
occupied by the organization in the Indonesian social and
political scene has led many observers to conclude that the
organization will enjoy a special relationship, not only with the
establishment, but also with the ruling party, Golkar.
The role played by ICMI seems set to grow more important as
the nation moves into the 21st century, which has been dubbed the
Age of the Pacific Rim, a dynamic region in which economic giants
reside and tight rivalry prevails. It would indeed seem that any
organization without a clear plan and the ability to implement it
has little hope of survival in this era.