Buchori quits his post at Muhammadiyah

Buchori quits his post at Muhammadiyah

JAKARTA (JP): Noted columnist Mochtar Buchori resigned his
rectorship at the Muhammadiyah Teachers' Training Institute
(IKIP) in Jakarta after months of conflict with other staff
lecturers and the management of the powerful Moslem organization.

Mochtar ended his term three months earlier than scheduled.
His position was filled by Qomari Anwar, who was previously a
assistant dean at the school of language and arts.

The installation and transfer ceremony at the Muhammadiyah
campus proceeded smoothly yesterday, to the surprise of
Muhammadiyah chairman Amien Rais.

"(Muhammadiyah leaders) were concerned that the succession
from Mr. Mochtar Buchori to Mr. Qomari Anwar would not run
smoothly, but I was mistaken. (Mochtar) seems to have handled
everything very well," Amien said after swearing in the new
rector.

Trouble began brewing when Mochtar publicly announced last
year that he was joining the Indonesian Democratic Party, an
alliance of Christian and nationalist forces. Mochtar, a retired
staff researcher at the government-owned Indonesian Institute of
Sciences, was subsequently appointed deputy to the party's chief
of research and development.

The announcement prompted protests from other members of the
teaching staff and students at IKIP Muhammadiyah Jakarta.

The Muhammadiyah Executive Board later ruled that Mochtar
could not have both jobs, citing a regulation which states that
anyone at Muhammadiyah who holds a structural position cannot
serve on the executive boards of political organizations for fear
of conflict of interests.

Amien has defended Muhammadiyah's position, saying that the
rule would have applied if Mochtar had joined any other political
party.

Mochtar said yesterday he didn't regret joining PDI, although
it was at the expense of his job.

"I have always been concerned with democracy issues...I don't
think I want to wait until I am not a rector anymore to be
involved with PDI," he said in his farewell speech.

Mochtar emphasized that the institute needs to develop its
academic culture and discipline, particularly among the teaching
staff.

He said IKIP Muhammadiyah has had to turn down offers of
scholarships from foreign institutions because staff members
lacked the language skills.

Mochtar warned that the institute must be aware of "political
and commercial intrusions", which could easily erode the
institute's academic standing.

"Everyone has the right to be involved in politics, but they
should never bring it onto the campus. If you want to talk about
politics on campus, you must do so academically," he said.

Qomari in his speech said that he would carry out his new
responsibilities as rector based on faith and good deeds.

Born in 1952, Qomari received strict Moslem education until
his high school years. He obtained his bachelors degree from IKIP
Muhammadiyah Jakarta in 1979 and his masters degree in 1988. He
also received a masters degree from the University of Sussex in
the United Kingdom in 1992. (pwn)