Celebrities all doing their bit for democracy

Celebrities all doing their bit for democracy

JAKARTA (JP): Dangdut singer Machicha Mochtar is earnest in
her support for Golkar, believes its presidential candidate B.J.
Habibie is an "intelligent" enough man to bring progress to the
nation, and that Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto has
the necessary "fighting spirit" to help stabilize Indonesian
politics if he was elected vice president.

"I support Golkar all the way," said the 29-year-old
celebrity, who has so far taken part in 40 Golkar campaigns
across the Indonesia.

"I know what this country needs. It needs to be jerked out of
its poverty, with Habibie's help, and made tough, with Wiranto's
help," Machicha said.

"Democracy will still take a very long time to come here.
Let's just stop being so poor first... I cannot stand the sight
of poor children singing stupid songs for money," she said.

Machicha is among a number of celebrities joining political
parties in their campaigns.

Many theater, television and film artists in the capital
believe their loyalty to certain political parties has a
"logical" link to democracy. Some think the key to bringing about
democratization is to educate the public about the meaning of
people's sovereignty.

Veteran artist Leon Agusta, 61, said he believes that no
political party in Indonesia now could build a nation on its own.

"The children of this nation should realize that they hold the
hope, the people's sovereignty, in the palms of their hands,"
Leon said.

"The key in making them aware of this is nothing but
education," he said.

"Out of the 48 political parties contesting the polls, only
the National Mandate Party (PAN) accommodates pluralism," he
said.

"PAN is for ethnic pluralism, it's for the pluralism of
religions. Its keyword alone is anak bangsa (children of the
nation), which unites all people, however big or small, coming
from whichever religion, caste or creed," Leon said.

He explained that there were several political parties which
used terminologies, phrases and names that gave impressions of "a
broken people".

"Some parties give themselves labels such as... wong cilik
(little people, a term used by the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle). These words depict divisions among people," Leon said.

"The binding factor should be unity, at all costs."

On the other hand, musician and long-time Golkar cadre Dharma
Orat Mangun's idea of democracy is getting people to contribute
to a certain concept, and having it applied by the newly elected
government.

The man who dreams of a ministry of arts and culture in the
new government, with himself as minister, said that early this
year the ruling party sent its cadres across the country to hold
interviews with scholars, artists in many fields, and cultural
observers on their opinions of such a ministry.

"The party has collected practical views and concepts that
could be used to form new rules and regulations. This ministry
dream of mine could one day come true," Dharma said.

"All of this is of course possible only because of the people
the Golkar cadres have spoken with," he said.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old Hetty Koes Endang, who is media adviser
and vice coordinator of the arts and culture board of the
National Awakening Party (PKB), said she owed her support to PKB
because she grew up with the teachings of the Muslim Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) organization.

"My entire family, everybody related to me, are from NU,"
Hetty said.

"If in the old days, NU had to acquire recognition via Golkar,
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the United Development
Party (PPP), today, NU has it's own party, namely PKB," she said.

"Why do I believe in Gus Dur (NU head Abdurrahman Wahid)? He
fights to free the Indonesian masses from suffering and poverty.
He is not doing this for his own interests, he fights for the
people."

Hetty said she was amazed that even foreigners sought the
advice of Abdurrahman, and said that only he was the "true link"
between Indonesia and the "Western world". "Only Gus Dur can
bring us into the new millennium, believe me."

Hetty explained that Muslim preacher Habib Ali, who speaks at
monthly gatherings at the Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex
where she lives, had urged her husband, Yusuf Faisal, to give his
support for PKB.

"And we did. My husband is now at PKB's department for
economics, finance and industry," Hetty said, laughing. She
stressed that everybody should be allowed to participate in
politics, including artists.

"Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan was himself an actor. The
current Philippines President is an actor. So, why can't we
artists play in politics?"

Actor Sultan Saladin, 50, said his entrance into the PPP party
as a central figure in the arts and culture department had not
been without struggle.

During the old regime of former president Soeharto, Sultan had
once been blacklisted as a PPP activist.

"While other friends of mine, all PPP sympathizers, opted to
join Golkar in 1987 to avoid harassment from Golkar, I became a
PDI supporter," Sultan said, adding that he returned to PPP after
Soeharto's resignation.

"Why? Since the very beginning, PDI and PPP were the parties
which were always sidelined."

Sultan said that he believed that all PPP leaders could be
depended upon to build a moral society.

"This does not mean that we will restrict democracy within
such a society. This is only the stepping stone to building a
free society with high morals," Sultan said.

"We will instill this kind of democracy in people... the
freedom to act morally." (ylt)