Sabam Sirait launches book on RI democracy

JAKARTA (JP): A book compiling the thoughts, experiences and dreams of outspoken politician Sabam Sirait titled Sabam Sirait: Untuk Demokrasi Indonesia (Sabam Sirait: For Indonesia's Democracy), was launched here yesterday.

The forward of the 335-page book, published by Pustaka Yayasan Forum Adil Sejahtera, a publishing company which he helped found, was written by Mudji Sutrisno who described Sabam as "an uncommon and true democrat".

Attended by about 200 friends and colleagues, the book launching was colored mostly by jokes, speeches and comments flattering the legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Intellectual Mochtar Pabottingi of the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) lauded Sabam as a "politician with character, integrity and sincerity" in his struggle for the cause of democracy.

Also present yesterday was former Indonesian ambassador to Australia Sabam Siagian, Sabam's fellow PDI legislators Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno and Hariyanto Taslam, senior journalist Aristides Katoppo, and historian Onghokham.

Sabam Sirait was born on Oct. 13, 1936, in Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra.

He is former chairman of the Christian Student Movement Jakarta-chapter and former secretary-general of the now defunct Indonesian Christian Party.

Well-known for his critical opinions, Sabam has become one of the most loved commentators to the press.

Some of his most vocal criticisms include his opposition to monopolies and the need to limit presidential terms.

"His thoughts live up until now. He is a political employee who never gets bored with his job and never resigns," a lecturer at the Driyarkara philosophy school in Jakarta, Mudji, said.

Pabottingi said Sabam was a politician that believed the country should fight for an "integrative democracy" which could bind the country as one without using force.

Also commenting on Sabam was Sabam Siagian, who recalled that the legislator once said that his work would finally be complete after he launched his own book.

But Sabam said that another job was now awaiting the legislator, pointing to the need to help repair rift-ridden PDI, in which he was once a deputy chairman.

"If not, the life of democracy in Indonesia will be difficult," Sabam said. (aan)