President Abdurrahman again slams the press

President Abdurrahman again slams the press

SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid took
another shot at the press on Saturday, saying numerous baseless
reports and gossip were printed by the media.

"I was recently upset upon hearing a report that I would
resign in September. I never said anything about resigning. Where
did the media get the statement from? I was very surprised," the
President said during the Central Java and Yogyakarta Inter-
Religious Community Forum.

"The Indonesian press must learn more," he said, adding that
the government's responsibility was only to provide facilities
for the press and encourage it to educate itself. "That's all."

"We must be more patient. We may be very angry at the press if
it has the intention to libel," he said, adding that legal action
was the best way to deal with erroneous media reports.

The President was greeted in Salatiga by a student
demonstration. Some 60 students from the Indonesian Muslim
Students Association demanded Abdurrahman's administration
resolve several issues, including the violence in Aceh and Ambon,
the Tanjung Priok incident and the July 27, 1996, takeover of the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Jakarta.

The President made headlines recently by angrily denouncing a
report by the Surabaya-based Jawa Pos daily alleging officials of
Nahldatul Ulama (NU) were involved in corruption, collusion and
nepotism. Abdurrahman chaired NU for 15 years before being
elected President.

His anger apparently prompted noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish
Madjid to suggest that Abdurrahman remain cool and take legal
steps to deal with the report.

"If the press has gone too far, just take it to court," the
President said on Saturday.

The President stressed on May 3 his commitment to a free
press, while admonishing some media for abusing their freedom.

During the forum on Saturday, when asked about the
relationship between religion and the government, the President
said there was no way to combine the two. "Religion is out of the
government, because religion teaches no violence, while a
government cannot stand without respect for laws, which in a way
means toughness. So there must be a difference."

He said he had begun the separation of religion from
government. "I told the minister of religious affairs to let the
(management of) Istiqlal Mosque stand alone without government
interference."

Also in attendance was Semarang Archbishop I Suharyo.

Hours earlier in Semarang, the President opened the religious
forum, organized by the Central Java and Yogyakarta Ulema's
Friendship Forum.

In his keynote speech, Abdurrahman said justice,
professionalism and unity must be maintained by all levels of
society, including officials. "That's the basis of a government's
administration."

The President called on ulema to return to the Koran and the
words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, "in order to make life
of better quality".

Abdurrahman spiced up his 30-minute speech with jokes. He said
he was collecting jokes and humorous stories from NU members. "I
have collected some 180 jokes. I will publish them in a book
after I collect 300 jokes."

The forum, scheduled to end on May 16, will feature several
senior NU officials, including Said Aqil Siradj, Mustafa Bisri
and Fajrul Salah. (har/swa/sur)