'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