PKB politicians establish law firm

JAKARTA: A law firm founded by several politicians from the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) was inaugurated on Monday.

PKB chairman Alwi Shihab, leaders Moh. Mahfud MD, A.S. Hikam, H.Z. Arifin Junaidi, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Saleh Abdul Malik and Ahmad Anas Yahya are the partners of the firm. Former president Abdurrahman Wahid is the adviser to the firm.

The law firm is named Mahfud MD and Associates.

Alwi, a former foreign affairs minister, said, after its inauguration, that Mahfud was in charge of handling legal affairs at the firm. Mahfud is the only law school graduate of the partners.

Mahfud, a former defense minister and justice minister, said that the other partners would deal with other nonlegal cases as the law firm would also offer advice on trading, business management, information management, financial management, capital market and security, as well as public policy.

He denied that the law firm would be used as a vehicle for PKB in its campaign for the 2004 election. -- JP