The Crescent Star Party

The Crescent Star Party

Two recent front page articles (April 16 and April 19) on the
Crescent Star Party (PBB) and its chairman Prof. Yusril Ihza
Mahendra attracted my attention. What fascinated me was not so
much the party's economic and political platforms, which endorse
such things as a market economy, foreign investment, wide-ranging
autonomy for the provinces etc. These platforms, important as
they are, could well be shared by many of the other parties. What
singles out the PBB, I think, is its emphasis on the need for
Islamic ethical values in order to resist the current moral and
economic crisis, as well as its complete rejection of any
individual cultism and communistic practices in the governing of
the nation.

The most fundamental problem faced by the country today is
widespread moral bankruptcy. Under the circumstances, a set of
economic and political platforms, no matter how good they may
appear on paper, will not significantly mitigate the problem if
political leaders are corrupt or degenerate. In this regard, I
believe a government dominated by political parties based on
religious nationalism, such as the PBB, is far more likely to
pursue and accomplish high moral standards and alleviate the
crisis, compared to a government founded on secular nationalism,
such as one led by the Functional Group (Golkar) party or the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan). To be
sure, a strict application of Christian moral values could be
just as helpful in combating the crisis, but since the vast
majority (nearly 90 percent) of the Indonesian population are
Muslims, a government of Islamic parties would be more
appropriate.

A pointed out by Prof. Yusril, the PBB not only espouses Islam
as its guiding ideology and source of inspiration, but it is also
ready, if it wins the next elections, to cooperate with non-
Muslims to form the next government.

Another quality of the Crescent Star Party which I find
attractive is its total rejection of individual cultism as
practiced, for instance, by the PDI Perjuangan with respect to
its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. Surely what is important
is not so much any particular leader in the party but rather the
system or vision envisaged by the party itself. Indonesian people
have had the unfortunate experience of having two deified
dictators (Sukarno and Soeharto) for about 40 years. If we should
have another idolized president, Megawati for instance, the
country could end up in disaster as in 1965 and 1998. Besides we
really do not know what Megawati stands for and what is going on
in her mind. Her extremely reticent personality and persistent
refusal to take part in a public debate with the other
presidential candidates will certainly cast a serious doubt about
her capability and her ideas on how she would govern the country.

Furthermore, most Indonesians are wondering why those shameful
and violent riots in Purbalingga, Brebes, Lampung, Palu etc. were
perpetrated by her own cadres and followers. Is this violent or
even communistic radicalism part and parcel of her party's
ideology, or is it just an indication of her inability to control
her subordinates? Megawati should come out of her shell and must
not hide behind the charismatic image of her late father, who,
some people think, was far from exemplary.

In my view, the best thing that could happen to this country
would be for the Islamic parties to win the next elections and
perhaps form a coalition government with the National Mandate
Party (PAN) of Amien Rais. In this scenario, the Golkar Party and
PDI Perjuangan would take up the opposition role.

MASLI ARMAN

Jakarta