Wiranto's song snatches Rp 1.2b

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.