No possible revival of new Masyumi: Anwar
No possible revival of new Masyumi: Anwar
JAKARTA (JP): Anwar Harjono, former leader of the now-defunct Moslem political party Masyumi, has ruled out the possibility of reviving the organization for fear of confusing the public.
Anwar made the declaration on Saturday at a gathering convened to give thanks for the recent honor that the government conferred upon several Masyumi leaders, including Kasman Singodimejo, Bagus Hadikusumo, Prawoto Mangkusasmito and Jusuf Wibisono.
Anwar, who now chairs the influential Indonesian Council for Islamic Propagation, told nearly 1,000 people that the members and supporters of Masyumi "are not stirred by the wish of several parties to establish new organizations under any name".
"If there are people who wish to establish a new mass organization with the name Masyumi, though without the identity of Masyumi, then they (run the risk of) confusing the public," he told the audience, which included legislator Aisjah Amini and leading dissidents Ali Sadikin and HJC Princen.
Anwar, once a Masyumi spokesman, was responding to speculation that ex-Masyumi members would establish a mass organization under the same name. Under the current laws, people can only establish social and mass organizations and not political parties.
The speculation emerged amid the mushrooming of new organizations using the names of past and defunct political parties, including the "new" PNI and the "new" Parkindo. The name of the political party, Masyumi, stood for Majelis Syuro Muslimin Indonesia.
Several prominent activists, including Ridwan Saidi and Agus Miftach, have proposed the establishment of Majelis Syarikat Ummat Muslimin Indonesia (the Indonesian Moslem Congregation) whose acronym is also Masyumi.
Miftach denied any links between the "new" Masyumi and the defunct party. The new organization, he said, has no connection whatsoever with the leaders or activists of the old party.
"Debates (about whether there is need for the establishment of the organization) are therefore irrelevant," he said in a statement made available to the press yesterday.
Masyumi, established on Nov. 7, 1943, in Yogyakarta, was a merger of Islamic organizations and political parties Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama and Partai Sarekat Islam Indonesia.
Following tensions and conflicts with Masyumi, the Old Order administration gave the party a deadline of 30 days to dissolve or to be outlawed. Masyumi leaders took the first option. (swe)