Legislator punches minister

Legislator punches minister

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Legislator Djamal Doa punched State Minister of Cooperatives and
Small and Medium Enterprises Alimarwan Hanan in the stomach on
Tuesday for allegedly blocking the lawmaker's bid for a post on
the central executive board of the religious-based United
Development Party (PPP).

The incident, in front of a number of journalists, took place
inside the compound of the official residence of Vice President
Hamzah Haz on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, before an internal
party meeting.

Djamal, Alimarwan and several other party leaders were waiting
for Hamzah, the party's chairperson, to invite them into his
house when the legislator suddenly punched the minister.

Party executive Sofyan Usman, who was standing beside
Alimarwan, came to the minister's rescue, pushing Djamal to the
ground, causing the lawmaker's eyeglasses to fall to the ground
and break.

Other party leaders, including Chozin Chumaidy and former
attorney general Andi Ghalib, tried to end the scuffle by
separating the two.

Djamal told the press after the incident that Alimarwan had
prevented him from taking up the position of deputy chairman for
the party's research and development division without any clear
reason.

Hamzah "had nominated me for the position but Alimarwan
rejected the decision without a clear reason," he said.

"Last Saturday, the party met to vote to decide whether or not
I deserved the post. I don't know what went on (during the
meeting) but I don't need that post now," Djamal told reporters.

"I need clarification on whether they rejected me because I
was once branded as Pak Bachtiar's supporter."

Bachtiar Chamsjah, the current social affairs minister, was
Hamzah's rival in the election for party chairman in May but was
defeated.

Alimarwan refused to comment, arguing that "it (the incident)
is an internal matter."