Polemic on MPRS decree revocation
Polemic on MPRS decree revocation
From Media Indonesia
The polemic on the revocation of decree No.XXV/1966 of the
Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) has recently
taken a swift turn upward after President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus
Dur) repeatedly said that the revocation of the decree was
important. According to Gus Dur, the essence is, it is not wise
of the government to punish family relations of people who are
suspected of involvement in the now defunct Indonesian Communist
Party (PKI). Gus Dur even said that parents might have been PKI
members but that their children were now pious. The President's
statement has the support of a number of well-known figures,
including the chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB)
Matori Abdul Djalil.
According to chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) Amien Rais, the revocation of the decree is dependent on
the MPR, not on the President's statement. And the MPR he chairs
will not revoke the decree. He even placed a bet of having his
hair cut if the decree was revoked (Republika, April 5).
The rejection of the revocation of the decree also came from
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) general chairman K.H.
Husein Umar and constitutional law expert Harun Alrasyid.
However, the government's attitude and treatment of the relatives
of members of the banned PKI needs redefining.
Looking into the contents of said MPRS decree on the banning
of PKI in the Republic of Indonesia and the prohibition of the
dissemination of communism, Marxism and Leninism, it needs
clarifying if those ideologies are really atheistic. If that is
the case, they are certainly against the Pancasila state
ideology, i.e. the principle of God the Almighty. The consequence
is that the MPRS decree must be maintained, because the
revocation of the MPRS decree will mean the trampling of the
state's basis and philosophy. Once again, it is absolutely true,
provided that communism, Marxism and Leninism are teachings based
on atheism.
FAISOL
Bekasi, West Java