Fee paid to Gus Dur after three years

JAKARTA (JP): What's is the price of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's comments for a book?

"It's US$900," said Tadjus Sobirin, who had used Gus Dur's comments in his book published in 1996 but only paid the latter some three years later.

"The same comment is used in my second book. Should I pay it again? I don't know," the Golkar Party's Jakarta chapter chairman said during the launch of his book entitled "Kadal Si Topi Bundar, Tadjus Sobirin Tokoh Tanggung Dari Kampung" (Lizard, the Rounded Hat, Tadjus Sobirin, Unsettled Figure from Village) on Thursday.

Tadjus, 59, who ruled Tangerang regency for 10 years from 1983, was referring to Gus Dur's new status as the country's President.

He admitted that he paid his debt to Gus Dur last month only after the latter reminded him about the unpaid fee at a seminar earlier.

"Pak Tadjus, where's my honorarium," Tadjus quoted Gus Dur as saying at the seminar.

Tadjus however did not disclose when exactly the seminar was held and whether or not his visit had anything to do with his attempt to get closer to Gus Dur, who few weeks later was elected as the country's fourth President.

He only said that he then visited Gus Dur's office on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta and gave the dollars in an envelope to Gus Dur.

Gus Dur's remarks titled "Unsettled Figure from Village" was first printed in Tadjus' biography Kebengalan dan Kesalehan (Tokoh Tanggung Dari Kampung)" (Disobedient and Piety -- Unsettled Figure from Village), which is written by Muslim scholar Emha Ainun Nadjib.

The second book, mostly about the good part of his life and experience, was written by Tadjus himself.

In the second book, Tadjus also dares to tell "hidden" stories of former president Soeharto and his former boss in Golkar, Harmoko.

"This book is about the experiences I wrote in my diary," commented Tadjus, who was recently promoted by former president B.J. Habibie from major general to a three-star general.

He disclosed that he would soon publish his third book about the country's former presidents Sukarno and Soeharto.(jun)