FBR chairman admits seeking donations

FBR chairman admits seeking donations

Ahmad Junaidi and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) chairman, A. Fadloli El Muhir, has been under the spotlight a lot lately. After the attention-grabbing FBR attack on the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) on March 28, he stole the show on Tuesday.

Fadloli admitted that FBR has been asking for donations from companies and other institutions to build a worker training center in Penggilingan subdistrict, East Jakarta.

"We have been asking for donations, but we have never forced them (to donate)," Fadloli, who is also a member of the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA), told The Jakarta Post by phone.

However, a copy of a letter sent to the Post states ".... if you do not respond to this letter, it means your company is not supportive and is ignoring the Betawi people as native Jakartans. FBR will do something to unsupportive entrepreneurs." The letter was signed by Fadloli and FBR secretary Lutfi Hakim and bore the FBR stamp.

"That's normal. Many other organizations also ask for donations," Fadloli said.

He claimed he had still to receive money for the development of the Rp 16 million (US$1,600) training center.

The donation proposals were distributed to companies and institutions earlier this year, before FBR members were involved in a violent attack against members of the UPC at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) office in Central Jakarta on March 28.

Governor Sutiyoso and city police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara said they had no information about the request for donations.

Despite the controversy, Fadloli could still feel relieved as DPA chairman Achmad Tirtosudiro has turned a blind eye to reports that FBR has often asked for money from companies.

"We don't know yet ... Should any company have evidence supporting its allegations, please give it to us for further consideration," he said.

Speaking at a media conference, Tirtosudiro, who was accompanied by deputy chairman Achmad Bagdja, said the Council had decided to give verbal and written warnings to Fadloli over the attack. He also called on him "to immediately control his members, as well as improve his image as a public figure."

Tirtosudiro said that Fadloli had admitted to threatening to beat up UPC chairwoman, Wardah Hafidz, and had subsequently apologized for his statement.

During the March 28 attack, FBR members, using wooden sticks and swords, hit people about the head, including women and children. They also put a machete to Wardah's neck.

"Fadloli denied the allegation, saying it was baseless. He claimed none of the FBR members had attacked women and children," Tirtosudiro said. He was immediately booed by several reporters who had witnessed the attack.

He further suggested FBR and UPC continue the ongoing legal process in an effort to find out if the FBR was really responsible for the violence.

Asked if the DPA would allow Fadloli, who is the city chapter chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), to be questioned by an enforcement agency Tirtosudiro simply said: "Just go ahead if that's needed."

The city police have sent a letter requesting President Megawati Soekarnoputri's approval to summon Fadloli for questioning over the attack.