Hard blow to Cak Nur

Some people were disappointed to learn of Nurcholish Madjid's (Cak Nur's) decision to withdraw his participation in the convention that the Functional Group (Golkar) party will organize to select the party's presidential candidate. Some other people agreed to this decision while still some more began to unmask him.

Back in 1998, before Pak Harto, then the incumbent president, decided to step down from his presidential seat, he asked Yusril, Cak Nun (Ainun Najib) and Cak Nur for advice.

Prompted by what Cak Nun and Cak Nur had whispered to him, Pak Harto said, "Ra dadi presiden ya ra patheken" (It is no problems for me not to be a president). We watched this on TV Outside Cak Nur shouted: "Wis tuwuk" (Loaded).

On one occasion towards the 1999 general elections, Cak Nur said, "If we are to find a leader that does not reek of Soeharto's smell, we must find him on another planet."

"Well, well, well." Who knows Cak Nur will also say: "Ra dadi presiden ya ra patheken."

SOEMARTONO FA HIEM, Bandung