Malik free to join party: Syafii

JAKARTA: Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif said on Wednesday that senior Muslim scholar Malik Fadjar had the right to be named a vice presidential candidate by any political party, underlining that such a move would not break up Muhammadiyah.

"It is his right to join any political party, but of course not under the banner of Muhammadiyah," Syafii said on Wednesday.

He stressed that his organization would not name anybody as a presidential candidate, and each member was free to determine their political choices.

Syafii was commenting on the recent statement by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) that senior Muhammadiyah member Malik Fadjar was a possible partner for PDI-P's presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Malik is the minister of national education in the current cabinet.

Earlier, Syafii said that Muhammadiyah would support the National Mandate Party (PAN) leader Amien Rais in the upcoming presidential election.--JP