Muhammadiyah to protect Amien

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: As many as 5,000 local supporters of the Muhammadiyah Islamic organization will be mobilized to protect National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais when he visits here on Oct. 12.

Antara quoted Zainuddin Isman of the Muhammadiyah provincial chapter as saying that the organization was preparing itself to counter any moves by Amien's opponents to protest the visit.

Amien, a well-known government opposition figure, was the chairman of the Muslim organization before he relinquished the post to head up the new party.

He is scheduled to speak at a graduation of Muhammadiyah University, hold a mass prayer gathering and a participate in a dialog with students.