Moslem students told to go beyond politics
YOGYAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman asked Indonesian Moslem students yesterday to stretch their activities beyond the political arena.
Hayono said while opening the 21st congress of the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) at the Yoyyakarta Palace complex that the country desperately needed economic and cultural experts to come up with ways to survive ongoing globalization.
"I surmise there is no youth organization ready to take on globalization. That's why I want HMI and its counterparts to improve the quality of their cadres," he said.
Hayono was referring to the currency woes that were hitting Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. President Soeharto spent a great deal of his state-of-the-nation speech over the weekend to discuss the fluctuation of the rupiah.
"The congress has to include this (currency) problem in its agenda, so that HMI can share its ideas of a solution to the government," Hayono said.
He suggested the country's largest student organization to offer more solutions for socioeconomic problems rather than just raise criticism.
Also at hand in the opening ceremony were secretary-general of the Ministry of Home Affairs Soerjana Soebrata, who represented Minister Moch. Yogie S.M., chairman of the association of HMI alumni Beddu Amang, who is also Chairman of the Logistics Board, Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and representatives of various youth organizations.
The congress, scheduled to run until next Tuesday, will elect a new chairperson for the 1997/2000 period.
HMI was beset with internal conflict even before preparations for the congress began, including a breakaway, unrecognized faction calling itself Savior Council of HMI.
Political analyst Fachry Ali, who attended the congress, said the Moslem student organization would suffer a setback if it failed to overcome the internal dispute.
He shared Hayono's view, saying that HMI should overcome its internal problem and think about improving professional and technical skills of its cadres.
Soerjatna did not read Yogie's speech, but instead gave the text to HMI executives. He said the speech dealt more with HMI's internal matters and the association could use it as input during the congress held at Bimo Hall owned by new Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Subagyo H.S.
After the opening ceremony, congress participants attended another ceremony to dedicate a mosque in the northern part of the sultanate town. The mosque was funded by HMI alumni.
The first day of the congress wasted six hours of time because both Hayono and Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro failed to deliver their scheduled lectures. (23/amd)