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)