High court upholds Bintang's appeal against minister

JAKARTA (JP): The State Administrative High Court has upheld politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas' appeal against former education minister Wardiman Djojonegoro who fired him from the Civil service. This caused his dismissal from a teaching post at the University of Indonesia.

"The court orders the education minister (Juwono Sudarsono) to revoke the decree on the plaintiff's dismissal and issue a new decree to rehabilitate Bintang to his former occupation (as a lecturer)," presiding judge Benjamin Mangkoedilaga told reporters at his office yesterday.

Benjamin said yesterday that the court reached its verdict Tuesday to annul the Jakarta State Administrative Court's (PTUN) February ruling supporting Wardiman's decision to dismiss Bintang as a lecturer at the University of Indonesia's faculty of engineering in August last year.

Bintang's dismissal from the post came after the former United Development Party legislator was convicted of defaming former president Soeharto and sentenced to 34 months in prison last year.

Bintang however was released, along with labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan, by Soeharto's successor B.J. Habibie as part of a pledge to build a more democratic country only days after the veteran ruler's resignation on May 21.

Bintang told The Jakarta Post that he was very surprised by the decision.

"The victory is because of the amnesty... I was free of all charges once the amnesty was given," Bintang, who is also founder and chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party, said.

He also said there has been an informal agreement with the faculty's staff prior to the high court' decision that he would start giving lectures on Aug. 31.

"I will give lectures for four hours per week," added Bintang. (byg)