Party workers persevere out of loyalty and hope

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.