Wiranto's song snatches Rp 1.2b
Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta
Some 700 businesspeople attended a gala dinner hosted by Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret.) Wiranto on Wednesday night to raise campaign funds ahead of the July 5 election.
An organizing committee member, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Jakarta Post that Wiranto, who picked prominent rights campaigner Solahudin Wahid as his running mate, collected some Rp 4 billion (US$450,000), including Rp 1.2 million from singing Indonesian song Juwita Malam.
Guests were seated at tables of eight, with the cost of dining at Rp 30 million to Rp 150 million per table.
"The presence of so many young businessmen proves that many people are still eager to build the country with me," Wiranto said during the dinner.
He said he chose May 12 to hold the dinner to commemorate the killing of four Trisakti University students in 1998, which sparked widespread riots that led to the downfall of former president Soeharto.
Solahuddin, who is also a deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), had once lead a team investigating possible gross human rights violations in the incident.
The team had tried in vain to summon some high-ranking military officers, including Gen. (ret) Wiranto, over their alleged roles in the incident.
Wiranto called on the public on Wednesday night not to look back, but to look forward.
"Reconciliation will enable us to build the nation," he said.
While Wiranto was belting out Juwita Malam, businessman Tranggono dug deep into his pocket to donate Rp 200 million, Setia Novanto, Rp 50 million, chairman of the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Mohammad S. Hidayat, Rp 50 million, and comedian Timbul, Rp 25 million.
The fund-raising event was also attended by leaders of the National Awakening Party (PKB), which had openly said that it would support Solahuddin if the General Elections Commission (KPU) disqualifies founder Abdurrahman Wahid from the country's first-ever direct presidential election.