ICMI's fate comes under spotlight ahead of congress
ICMI's fate comes under spotlight ahead of congress
JAKARTA (JP): Social observer Aswab Mahasin raised questions yesterday about the "fate" of the influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) in the event of a major change in Indonesian politics.
Aswab was speaking at a discussion marking the launching of ICMI: Antara Status Quo dan Demokrasi (ICMI: Between the Status Quo and Democracy), a book on the organization's development over the past five years. Adi Sasono, a leading ICMI member, was among the other speakers at the gathering.
"Does ICMI's future hinge on the power with which it is allying itself at present?" Aswab asked, adding: "If the power shifts, will ICMI survive?"
The discussion revolved around the perceived closeness between ICMI and the power holders, especially given that ICMI's chairman, State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, is a close confidant of President Soeharto.
Other topics discussed yesterday included ICMI's role in democratization: specifically, whether ICMI can bring about changes from its position "within", or whether it should do its job from "outside" the political system.
Aswab said that there is no denying that ICMI, established in 1990, has grown to be a very large organization.
"ICMI is a big phenomenon. There's no political party that has been written about as extensively as ICMI has," he said. "Not even (the ruling political grouping) Golkar and the (independent labor union) SBSI have been talked about as much," he added.
Earlier in the day, Adi, who is director of the Center for Information and Development Studies, an ICMI think-tank, defended the organization's record on various matters.
He dismissed various accusations made against ICMI, which he said had come from intellectuals, politicians and the mass media.
"There are people who claim that ICMI is a mere tool of Pak (Mr.) Harto (Soeharto) in mobilizing Moslems (as a political base) and that ICMI is standing in opposition to the Armed Forces (ABRI)," he said.
Since ABRI is supposed to be a force which defends the national interest, then the logic of such claims is that ICMI is a "sectarian" force, Adi said.
He said that, if ICMI had been "sectarian", "elitist" and concerned only with promoting the interests of particular social groups, it would not have fought for the abolition of the controversial state lottery, SDSB, in 1993.
Adi, who is known to have been included on the list of the five ICMI leaders most favored to sit on the organization's 1995- 2000 executive board, also denied that ICMI was banking on its connection with the power holders.
"If ICMI were merely seeking proximity to the power holders, why would it have Bintang, the number one opposition figure in the whole of Southeast Asia, in its lineup?" he asked.
Adi was referring to Sri Bintang Pamungkas, an outspoken politician and a recently-sacked legislator who is currently on trial for allegedly defaming President Soeharto. Bintang is a member of ICMI's council of experts.
"I reject the charge. Being close to the center of power is not enough. We should be that power," he said to laughter from the audience, most of which were students and scholars.
Adi said ICMI needs to have various resources to cope with the various challenges it is facing. He said ICMI is concerned, for instance, about the widespread incidence of land disputes, and believes that only improved legislation can solve the problem.
It is in this connection that ICMI needs to have access to power, he said.
"There's no way we can defend the people's rights unless we do it from 'within'", he said.
ICMI will hold its annual congress here from Dec. 7 to Dec. 9. President Soeharto is scheduled to open the gathering, which will also elect a new chairman for ICMI's 1995-2000 executive board.
Sources say the congress is likely to re-elect Habibie by acclamation, given his achievements in leading the government- backed organization. (swe)