Syarwan resigns as House deputy speaker

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Speaker Harmoko revealed yesterday that Deputy Speaker Syarwan Hamid had tendered his resignation from his legislative post following his appointment as Minister of Home Affairs.

Harmoko told reporters here yesterday that a meeting of House leaders, which he chaired, discussed Syarwan's resignation. The House's Consultative Body (Bamus) would discuss his resignation and submit their recommendation to the House leaders.

Only after all House factions -- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), and the Armed Forces (ABRI) -- approved, would a replacement be appointed, Harmoko was quoted by Antara as saying.

Syarwan, a three-star general, hailed from the ABRI faction and would therefore be replaced by a fellow ABRI faction member.

Harmoko, who is also chairman of the ruling Golkar organization, also showed off the legislative body's intent to flush out members who obtained their posts through political or familial connections.

He said a number of legislators had tendered their resignation from the People's Consultative Assembly, which Harmoko also chairs. On May 20, Harmoko's wife, Sri Rochmadiyati Harmoko, and Syarwan's wife, Agustini Syarwan Hamid, resigned.

On May 23, the wife and daughter of Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto -- Rugaiya Usman Wiranto and Amalia Sianti Wiranto respectively -- resigned.

On May 24, Liliek Herawati, daughter of Central Java's Golkar chairman Alip Pandoyo resigned from her post at the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly (DPR/MPR), citing her wish to support reform and campaign against nepotism.

On Monday, Syarwan resigned.

"There will be other letters (of resignation) from other factions. The DPR/MPR leaders will accept them. Yes, accept them.

"However, efforts to replace them will be conducted by the factions in question, after they coordinate with their respective political organizations," Harmoko said.

The campaign against nepotism is gaining momentum, with public figures now racing to quit various posts they might not have obtained without connections to power holders.

Ilham Habibie, son of President B.J. Habibie, resigned from his post as special assistant to the head of the High Technology Division of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), which he obtained when his father headed the agency. His uncle, Junus Effendy Habibie, quit from his post as head of the Batam Industrial Development Authority.

Junus took over the Batam job from President Habibie a little more than two months ago when the latter was appointed the country's vice president.

It was reported from Bandung, West Java, yesterday that Ilham was still, however, employed at the state aircraft manufacturer IPTN as a director of a unit and head of a division developing the N-2130 jet.

IPTN spokesman M.T. Satoto said Ilham had indeed resigned from his post at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, but he was still working at IPTN. Habibie vacated the post of IPTN president when he was elected vice president in March.

"It is not true Ilham was here because of nepotism because he has the skill and he is a professional in his field," Satoto said.

He revealed that Ilham graduated magna cum laude from Aachen University's aeronautics school in Germany, an honor that surpassed that of his father when he graduated from the same school.

After graduation, Ilham had a stint working in international aerospace companies such as Dassault, MBB and Boeing before he joined IPTN in 1994.

"While he was with Boeing, Ilham even discovered the reason why the B-777 aircraft could not go up to the level of 27,000 feet. Original design said the aircraft could only fly up to 18,000 feet," another spokesman, Adam Permasa, said.

"It was because of his own achievements that Ilham was recruited by IPTN," he said. "If he was prevented from working at IPTN, other aircraft manufacturers would be happy to accept him, and it would be our loss because his is a skill that is still rare here," Satoto said. (23/swe)