'It's time for HMI to dissolve'

'It's time for HMI to dissolve'

SURABAYA: A former executive of the much-criticized Indonesian Muslim Students Association (HMI), Deddy Prihambudi, said the student organization should dissolve as it has exceeded its original platform.

"HMI must repent. It's high time for the student organization to be dissolved," Deddy, also chairman of the Surabaya Legal Aids Institute, said here on Saturday.

The idea to liquidate HMI came from its founding executive Nurcholis Madjid in a discussion in Jakarta recently.

Nurcholish, widely known as an influential Muslim intellectual, said HMI had "produced" many officials who were allegedly involved in corruption. He was referring to former HMI chairman Akbar Tandjung, who is facing corruption charges for his alleged role in the Bulog scandal.

Deddy explained that the blunder was made because they did not have the guts to criticize HMI's senior members who are now in power.

"I don't have any objection if HMI is disbanded. We don't have to keep an institution if it cannot be expected to fight for good values," he said. --Antara