The story of Amien Rais

The story of Amien Rais

Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais is an Islamic figure, an intellectual and a politician who is clever at making political maneuvers. He is indeed shrewd. Despite his party's less than optimal showing in the 1999 elections, he still secured a position as the MPR Speaker. That's an achievement.

Let's have a closer look at this cunning politician. Prior to the 1999 General Election he set up PAN (National Mandate Party), a political party which, according to him, for intellectuals, making its leader the right person to be president. But PAN only managed to garner the fifth most votes in the election. PDI- Perjuangan (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) triumphed, but Amien did not want Megawati to become president. "The bottom line is that the president is not Megawati". He remarked, blowing up an issue: "Women, according to Islam, can not become president".

He then persuaded Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) to become president. He did it. Gus Dur thought Amien was sincere. One year after Gus Dur became president, Amien got ruffled and became restless as he was unable to steer Gus Dur as he liked, so he helped to bring him down.

Then he ushered Megawati onto the throne consistent with the people voting for her party. "Now, under special circumstances, a woman can become president."

Then the "housewife", assisted by the Gotong royong Cabinet, started to govern this country. One year later, Amien got restless again. Nobody knows why. Perhaps he wanted to bring Megawati down.

Afterwards, the House's Reform Faction (Made up of PAN and the Justice Party) made another maneuver, demanding that State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi be fired. Amien said: "Laksamana Sukardi is a dangerous person". Time and again he blows up an issue tainted with "Nationalism": "Laksamana does not have a sense of nationhood." However, Amien himself once thought of making Indonesia a Federalist Country.

The people of Indonesia must think wisely and I am sure they are getting smarter and smarter and able to judge their leaders.

SUHARTONO FA HIEN, Bandung