Party workers persevere out of loyalty and hope

Top politicians like Amien Rais, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri would not be able to campaign without the loyal party workers who take care of the small details. Usually, the work of this largely uncelebrated group of people goes unnoticed, and yet they persevere. The Jakarta Post correspondents Tanra Alam in Palu, Joko Sarwono in Bogor, O.K. Mirza Syah and Junardi Harahap in Medan, Ariefuddin Saeni and Jupriadi in Ujungpandang, Israr Ardiansyah in Yogyakarta, and reporter Santi W.E. Soekanto in Jakarta explore the loyalty people feel toward parties and party leaders.

JAKARTA (JP): A group of red-clad men, both young and old, sweat in the sun as they struggle to hang a large banner atop an office building in South Jakarta. Their work completed, they take a breather and look up with pride at the banner.

It reads: Pejah Gesang, Nderek Mbak Mega.

This Javanese expression of loyalty is so strong it borders on feudalistic servitude. It means: In death, in life, we follow Sister Mega.

An elderly woman in a small town in West Java told her children she ran out of money. When they gave her some, she went and bought bottled drinks and snacks, which she brought to the office of the local branch of the Justice Party (PK) to hand out to party activists.

"Why in the world did you do that," her astonished son asked.

"Well, I just wanted to," the mother said, before telling her children that supporting the Muslim-based Justice Party was also supporting Islam.

Social psychologist Sartono Mukadis said few foreign analysts have been able to satisfactorily explain "the amazing phenomenon" of the loyalty Indonesians have toward parties and party leaders.

He said the loyalty supporters felt for Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), bordered on cultism because, at one stage, they become willing to die for her.

"Some of these people are those who suffered during the days of Sukarno (Indonesia's founding president and father of Megawati)," he said. "And then they repeat (the mistake) of pinning all their (hopes) on one person."

"How are you going to explain that rationally," he said.

He quoted American scholar David McClelland, who placed social motives into three categories: power, achievement and affiliation. "Most of our constituents are people who do things out of a need for affiliation," he said.

He said such strong loyalty could not be purchased. "If (President B.J.) Habibie wants to be loved (by the Indonesian people), he can't (have it happen just like that). It's either there or it is not."

He cited the case of Yogyakarta monarch Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X -- to whom millions feel such strong loyalty that it borders on servitude -- as an example of a person who had power bestowed on him by people who made a cult of him. And yet, he refuses to be trapped, Sartono said.

"Imagine if he really went into politics full-force," Sartono said. "(His influence) would be awesome."

Sartono urged Megawati to take care and not become trapped by the cultism which sometimes surrounds her. "That's dangerous. Our politics is like a swinging pendulum. We have moved from hating Sukarno to idolizing Sukarno."

"It's time for her to say 'enough'. She needs to appear as a human being (rather than a goddess)," he said. "Make mistakes for once, then ask for forgiveness. Act human."

Sartono said Megawati's recent refusal to take part in a debate of presidential hopefuls might have been caused by her fear of making mistakes.

"Her supporters may at first be disappointed, but in the long run she would gain stronger support," he said. "If she keeps on (as she is), she may find even bigger trouble when she is on the verge of winning or even becoming president because people's support for her will have become massive and monolithic.

"Anything that is massive and monolithic in politics is dangerous," he said.

Sartono added that there would be an even greater danger if Megawati lost her presidential bid. "Her supporters would not tolerate a defeat, so we can imagine what it would be like (if millions of people refused to accept the defeat)."

Profiles

Jhon Hendri, a trader who operates a small Muslim garment shop near the campus of Sumatra Utara University in Medan, North Sumatra. He does not make money from his activities in support of the Justice Party. He provides his car to transport party activists who provide free medical service to the poor in various cities.

"I place my property, my time and energy and my mind at the party's disposal. I know I am not going to get any material gain or positions in the party," he said. "I only want the blessing of Allah."

"I am doing all this for Islam and because I believe only the Justice Party campaigns for Islam," the father of two said. "I can see how the party activists are people who do not expect any financial gain from their work."

Jhon's parents are both supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) but his wife and siblings are supporters of the Justice Party.

James Manalu, also in Medan, is an unemployed graduate of PGRI 12 high school. He mobilizes supporters for PDI Perjuangan's rallies, he puts up banners and he helps secure gatherings. He does this in the name of idealism and in the hope of improvement.

"I believe this party fights against corruption and collusion," he said. "I don't mind working this hard for the party because I hope that my younger siblings will some day find it easier to get a job.

"I don't want them to be like me. I could not become a civil servant because I couldn't pay the bribe that the corrupt officials wanted."

Bahar is a pete-pete driver, the local public transportation in Ujungpandang. He lets the Justice Party use his vehicle for free. For every day of campaigning that his car is used, he loses Rp 25,000.

"I am just a common person, this is the only thing that I can do for my party," he said. "If the party wins, that would be great because it would then fight corruption so police officers on the streets wouldn't be able to extort money from drivers like me."

Rahmad Simanungkalit used to work in a hotel in Medan, North Sumatra, but it was burned down in last year's May riots. His parents are both members of the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, and now they support the National Mandate Party (PAN), which is chaired by former Muhammadiyah chairman Amien Rais.

Rahmad, however, has been an active supporter of Golkar for the past three years. "This party really takes care of the youth and fights for their interests," he said. "My activities (for Golkar) tire me, but I get personal satisfaction from them.

"I was offered a chance to become a Golkar legislative candidate but I refused because the party needs people like me to work for it."

Bobby Purba, an economics student at Medan Area University in Medan, North Sumatra, helps put up flags and banners for the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), prepares equipment for party gathering and goes out to gather new supporters for the party.

"I do this because this party believes in things that I believe in, like peace and religious values," he said. "Besides, this party supports reform leaders such as Megawati."

Asked why he does not just join PDI Perjuangan, he responds: "Oh, that is because that party already has too many members. I wouldn't be taken into account if I joined PDI Perjuangan.

"Here, I can still do things. I can still develop. If this party becomes big, I would be able to get a position ... maybe become a legislative member someday.

Natalina Sitorus, 25, a student at Sumatra Utara University in Medan, North Sumatra and a member of the Indonesian Christian National Party (Krisna). She spends time at the party's office in Padang Bulan, where she joins discussions, because she believes the party voices her aspirations.

"I am a Christian, a member of the minority, so I joined Krisna," she said. "Look at cases of (violence where) churches were burned, those are... problems that should be handled by Christian parties."

M. Rusli, 32, is a supporter of the New Indonesia Party (PIB) in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi. He mobilizes supporters for party gatherings. He hopes by becoming an active supporter of PIB will one day enable him to land a better job, such as being a legislator, and a better future. He mentioned a promise, given by an unnamed person, that party members would receive access to loans.

"Some of my friends are already legislative candidates. I hope it's going to be my turn soon," he said.

M. Khalid, 44, is a supporter of the Justice Party (PK) in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi. He does not expect anything in return for his activities in support of the party. He became a party supporter after meeting other supporters in a mosque.

"I really admire them because most of them are university educated," he said. "They really uphold morality. This is why I became attracted to the party."

Andi Makkulau Pasarai, 40, is a volunteer who secures gatherings of the National Mandate Party in Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi. "I am thankful I get to do this, escorting party activists to gatherings."

He said he joined PAN because he believes Amien Rais, the party's chairman, has "charisma beyond words". "His fight against corruption in Indonesia is what made me want to support the party.

"Besides, the party has programs whose objective is to create a prosperous society. It will help the small people and educate the younger generation," he said.

Yos Sutiyoso, 43, supports the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) led by Budi Hardjono, and is now the secretary of the party's chapter in Yogyakarta.

"I chose PDI because there's more space for me to work in. PDI Perjuangan already has too many 'knights' so our ideas would not easily be heard.

"Some of my friends criticized me or even terrorized me for joining this party (because it is the camp that once toppled Megawati), but I told them I remain idealistic," he said.

Anwar Arifin, an ex-professor of communications at Hasanuddin University's School of Social and Political Sciences in Ujungpandang, resigned from his teaching position in order to become a member of Golkar. He is now one of the party's legislative candidates for the House of Representatives.

He said he left teaching for Golkar because he "wants to make a participatory study of the party, which has been the target of so much public condemnation."

"I am a scientist who has been working in the world of theory. Now I want to compare theories with the real world," he said.

Born in Sengkang on Dec. 11, 1947, Anwar said he wished to develop Golkar through a scientific approach. He wants to represent the world through Golkar, and believes the party will help further develop academia.

As soon as he joined Golkar, he became the target of criticism from colleagues and students and was accused of supporting the status quo.

"But this is a learning process which requires sacrifice. Our people are looking at Golkar in such black-and-white terms. But in politics, there's no such as thing black or white."

Andi Rudiyanto Asapah, a legislative candidate for PDI Perjuangan, is a well-known lawyer in Ujungpandang. He entered politics because he wanted to "introduce changes from within the bureaucracy".

By joining the party, he was forced to leave his job as a lawyer and sacrificed his popularity as a champion for the oppressed at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.

"I am just looking for a different medium. I have been fighting for betterment from outside of the system. Now I want to do it from within the system," he said.

He joined PDI Perjuangan because he believes the party will fight for the interests of the poor, something that he said he has been doing all along.