Edi regrets ICKI's failure to materialize

Edi regrets ICKI's failure to materialize

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (retired)
Edi Sudradjat expressed regret yesterday that the plan to set up
a new intellectuals organization with a more nationalistic
outlook fell through.

Edi had been one of the first cabinet officials to endorse the
plan to set up the Indonesian National Intellectuals Association
(ICKI) which its proponents said would counter similar
organizations that are based on religion.

"Of course I regret that ICKI failed to come into being
because the idea behind the plan is a good one," Edi told
reporters yesterday before a cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha
presidential office.

Former coordinating minister for people's welfare Alamsyah
Ratuperwiranegara, one of the plan's original designers,
announced on Tuesday that he had decided not to go ahead with
ICKI because of the controversy created by the plan since it was
publicly announced in late April.

In a written statement, which he co-signed with Sambas
Wirakusumah, a professor and initiator of the plan who is also
Edi's elder brother, Alamsjah said the decision was taken "with a
view toward maintaining national stability and unity." The
statement added that "we are not responsible" should another
organization similar to ICKI be formed in the future.

His announcement came in the wake of a report by the Tempo
newsweekly of a rift between Alamsjah and Maj. Gen. (ret.)
Moehono, the rector of Krinsnadwipayana University, who was also
involved in the preparations to set up ICKI.

Tempo reported that the alliance between Moehono and Alamsjah
broke apart as each tried to outdo the other by establishing the
new organization.

Moehono appeared to have the upper hand and a number of
scholars who gave their support met last week and voted on a new
name, the Association of Intellectuals for the Development of
Pancasila, which goes by the Indonesian acronym PCPP.

There were many interpretations about the motive behind
establishing the new organization, but the suggestion that it was
to counter the growing strength of ICMI seemed the most plausible
amid increasing accusations that ICMI was now treading into the
political arena.

This raised the spectre of a return to sectarian politicking
which could threaten the very foundation of the unitary republic,
analysts said.

Siswono

The controversy was further fanned when Minister of
Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo, mentioned as a potential
candidate to lead ICKI, publicly attacked ICMI, which is headed
by fellow cabinet member, State Minister of Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie.

Both Habibie and Siswono however tried to dispel all rumors
that there was a rift between them yesterday by embracing one
another before reporters and cameramen.

"He is my brother...," Habibie said laughingly, "He is an
engineer and so am I. He is a haj and so am I."

Siswono responded, "He is a nationalist and so am I. He is
religious and so am I."

Habibie said there was no row between them.

He added that he had nothing to do with Alamsjah's decision
not to go ahead with ICKI.

Siswono told reporters that ICKI would not have been accepted
at least in name because it would have implied that the other
intellectual organizations are not nationalists.

Habibie stressed repeatedly that he was not indulging in
practical politics and pointed out that any ICMI members who
played politics were doing it in their individual capacities and
were not representing ICMI.

He pointed out that ICMI's members come from all three
political organizations; Golkar, the United Development Party and
the Indonesian Democratic Party. Golkar's chairman Harmoko is
closely associated with ICMI while one of PPP's most vocal
legislator, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, sits on the ICMI's board.

It was Siswono who suggested last week that ICMI members were
politicking with the ICMI tag. (arf)