Syafii mum about presidency

JAKARTA: Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif said the organization will not extend support for any presidential candidate, including its own Amien Rais.

Underlining that the Muslim-based organization would not involve itself in politics, Syafii said Muhammdiyah would distance itself from all parties contesting next year's elections.

"There is no intention to support certain candidates as we are not a political organization," Syafii said on Tuesday, as quoted by detik.com.

Amien Rais, the presidential candidate from the National Mandate Party (PAN), was Sjafii's predecessor.

Syafii himself has been touted as a possible presidential candidate.

The noted Muslim figure said that at the coming national meeting of Muhamamdiyah it would only reveal the criteria for presidential candidates and would refrain from mentioning names.

"What we need is a leader who has a commitment to lead the country from the crisis." -- JP