First woman at ICMI helm, collegial leadership adopted

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

The Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) elected on Wednesday a presidium of five who will lead the organization for the next five years.

House of Representatives lawmaker Marwah Daud Ibrahim, Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa, former ICMI chairman Muslimin Nasution, Bandung-based Gunungjati State Islamic University rector Nanat Fatta Natsir and Jakarta-based Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University rector Azyumardi Azra will take turns in coordinating the unprecedented collective leadership of the association.

Marwah, the only woman in the presidium, will be the leader for the first year after securing the most votes in the election, which took place early in the morning. Participants in the fourth five-yearly congress had previously resorted to a vote on whether to approve the collective leadership proposed by ICMI founder B.J. Habibie.

Marwah, the first woman ever to lead the Muslim organization, expressed her guarded optimism that the new style of leadership would help the ICMI respond to internal and national challenges, particularly human resources development.

She said the ICMI would focus on improving the quality of human resources through education and regeneration and eradicating poverty through the empowerment of the people's economy.

"We will continue empowering civil society by fostering education and combating poverty and backwardness. Our concern will be how to help people free themselves from these multi- dimensional crises," said Marwah, who was denied a chance to contest last year's presidential election as the running mate of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid due to his health problems.

The ICMI also elected a team of six comprising among others Constitutional Court president Jimly Asshiddiqie, former cooperatives minister Adi Sasono and House lawmaker Priyo Budi Santoso, to select a secretary-general and members of the executive board for the association.

Wrapping up the congress, the ICMI issued a 10-point recommendation, which requires the new leadership to promote the small- and medium-scale economies, corruption eradication and better health services for the public.

The ICMI was founded in 1990 amid efforts from Soeharto to enlist Muslim support for his rule.