Ali Yafie installed to head MUI

Ali Yafie installed to head MUI

JAKARTA (JP): Senior scholar Ali Yafie was installed by
Minister of Religious Affairs A. Malik Fadjar on Thursday as the
chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), replacing Hasan
Basri who died last November.

According to deputy chairman Amidhan, Ali's tenure will last
until the council's congress in July 2000, Antara said.

"After Kiai Hasan Basri died, the executive board agreed to
appoint Kiai Ali Yafie acting chairman," Amidhan said after a
closed council meeting. His colleague, Ismail Hasan, said the
move was in line with the council's wishes.

The meeting at Hotel Indonesia also effected the installation
of the National Sharia Council, which will deal with economic
issues in accordance with Islamic law.

The Muslim clerics are scheduled to meet on Friday with
President B.J. Habibie and Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto.

The government established the council in 1975. Under its
first chairman Haji Malik Abdul Karim Amarullah, a prominent
Muslim scholar who was more popularly known as Buya (Father)
Hamka, the council became influential in the campaign to bridge
the gap between Muslims and the New Order regime under Soeharto.

In a related development, Kompas daily presented to Ali Yafie
on Thursday Rp 583 million, part of the Rp 1.28 billion in
humanitarian funds it raised in cooperation with the council.

The daily's general manager, Jakob Oetama, made the
presentation to Ali at a separate occasion. The money was raised
from August to December last year. (swe)