ICMI grooming Moslem 'cadres'

ICMI grooming Moslem 'cadres'

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Moslem
Intellectuals (ICMI) has no immediate plans to establish social
service institutions, such as schools and hospitals, its chairman
B.J. Habibie says.

Habibie said on Friday night that the ICMI was a forum for
Moslem intellectuals to exchange ideas and views and was more
concerned with human resources development.

He made the remarks to reporters shortly after he, in his
capacity as state minister of research and technology, addressed
the congress of the Muhammadiyah in Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh
province.

Muhammadiyah is one of Indonesia's largest Moslem
organizations. In its 83 years it has established hundreds of
schools as well as higher education institutes and hospitals.

Asked whether the ICMI, a relative newcomer, planned to expand
its activities in the same way as Muhammadiyah, Habibie said his
organization was more concerned with grooming Indonesia's Moslem
"cadres" for the challenges of development.

He said that many in Muhammadiyah had joined the ICMI, as had
thinkers from other organizations, including the ruling political
group Golkar.

"Take Amien Rais from Muhammadiyah and Thohir from Golkar," he
said. "They are founding members and have executive positions in
the ICMI." (emb)