PDI Perjuangan seeks delay of education bill endorsement
PDI Perjuangan seeks delay of education bill endorsement
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
One day before the scheduled passage of the education bill, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) will try
to exert its power as the largest faction at the House of
Representatives to delay the endorsement of the bill.
The demand to delay the endorsement, on the grounds that the
bill has caused too much controversy, will be presented at a
consultative meeting between faction leaders and Minister of
National Education Abdul Malik Fadjar on Monday, just one day
before the scheduled endorsement of the bill on Tuesday.
"Principally, we want to create laws that are accepted by
everybody in society. We hope other factions will be sensible,"
PDI Perjuangan treasurer Noviantika Nasution told The Jakarta
Post on Sunday.
Noviantika disclosed that PDI Perjuangan's stance had been
approved by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, also the party's
chairwoman.
She added that if the endorsement was delayed, legislators
should publicly announce the revisions they had made so that the
people understood and accepted them.
Numerous groups have protested against and for the bill. Those
supporting the bill include mostly Muslim groups, while those
opposing are mostly Catholic and Protestant groups.
The point of contention is the articles requiring all schools,
including private religious-based schools, to provide religious
instruction for students from different faiths.
Noviantika said those who were still against the bill were
mostly uninformed about some of the recent revisions in the bill.
She said several protesters just had the original draft during
their protests. They had no information that the issue they were
protesting against had actually been revised.
PDI Perjuangan's stance will likely get support from the
Military/Police faction and the Indonesian Nationhood Unity (KKI)
faction as shown by their latest political stance.
However, their demand to delay the bill's endorsement could be
staunchly opposed by Muslim-oriented factions, including the
United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB),
the Daulatul Ummah Party (PDU) and Reform factions.
Those factions have been voicing the aspirations of many
Muslim groups which mostly urge the House to endorse the bill as
is, and as soon as possible.
In the meantime, members of Golkar and the National Awakening
Party (PKB) factions remain divided.
Although his faction accepts the bill, PKB legislator Effendi
Choirie said he would also support calls for a postponement.
The delay or endorsement of the bill is expected to create
animosity between the two major religious groups in society, most
of whom are already divided by their views about the bill.
Secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Din
Syamsuddin told Antara on Saturday that about one million Muslims
would occupy the House compound on Tuesday if legislators delayed
the bill's endorsement.
A Muslim leader in West Java, Maulany, said that he and his
counterparts had agreed to "wage jihad" if the House delayed
endorsement of the bill.
Chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Nathan
Setiabudi last Friday warned the nation of social upheaval if the
House insisted on endorsing the controversial bill in its present
form.
Bishop of Ambon diocese Mgr. Mandagi earlier suggested that
the legislators delay endorsing the bill to avoid social
conflict.
Arguments and rallies for and against the bill center on the
government's intervention in education and the requirement for
schools to provide religious instruction for students according
to their respective faiths.
Many private Christian schools have large numbers of Muslim
students and there is apparently fear that those students may be
converted away from Islam.
However, the Christian groups see the stipulation as a state
intervention into private educational institutions.