Amien admits to quitting over criticism

JAKARTA (JP): Outspoken Moslem scholar Amien Rais admitted yesterday that his recent resignation from a leading post in the influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) was partly caused by his critical stance over many government policies.

"I resigned from ICMI because of the limited time I could give it, but I have to be honest that I resigned because of my criticism against (the mining project in) Busang and Freeport which involves the interests of the nation," he was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

While Amien's statement was in answer to earlier speculation that he was made to resign the post of chairman of the association's Council of Experts, it did not specify whether he was forced out or whether he went of his own accord.

The chairman of the 28 million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization and political science lecturer at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, once called the small profit Indonesia received from foreign mining operations "unconstitutional."

Speaking before a gathering of 1,500 Muhammadiyah members last night, Amien said he had the right to criticize because Muhammadiyah was an organization whose mission was to encourage people to do good and prevent them from committing misdeeds.

"I was advised to (make) my criticism ... vague but I couldn't because this is an Islamic mission that cannot be done half- heartedly," he said. "This is about religion. I'm carrying out a religious mission."

He said he made the criticism because he wanted to help prevent the state's wealth being plundered, as the Constitution mandates.

"What we see as good is not always seen as good by other people. So I resigned from ICMI. But my religion teaches me this," he said. (swe)