Yogie blasts HMI for rejecting official

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. lashed out yesterday at the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) for rejecting a speech by a senior ministry official in the recent opening of their congress.

"It's really deplorable that members of such an influential organization behaved in such a manner," Yogie was quoted by spokesman H.S.A. Yusacc as saying yesterday.

Yogie was referring to HMI members who not only refused to hear the ministry's secretary-general Suryatna Subrata deliver the minister's speech, but also jeered at him. The students had wanted Yogie himself at the event on Wednesday.

Yusacc said the incident should not have happened as the congress organizing committee knew the minister could not attend.

"Pak Yogie told State Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tanjung, as one of HMI's patrons, and the congress organizers that he could not address the congress because he already had an appointment that same day," he said.

About 1,000 participants of the congress yelled and booed Suryatna as he was about to deliver Yogie's speech. Suryatna then canceled the speech and gave the text to HMI executives, saying it dealt with the organization's internal affairs and should be used as input during the members' deliberation.

Suryatna then addressed the congress off the cuff.

He told the students to come up with solution-oriented recommendations and submit them to the government as a contribution to solve the country's social problems.

He also told participants to avoid violence, especially during their leadership election. "You should not repeat past incidents when you threw chairs at each other," he said, referring to earlier congresses when the students became engaged in brawls over who should lead the organization.

The congress is to conclude next Monday and is scheduled to adopt programs for the next two years and elect new leaders.

Upon hearing Suryatna, the participants again yelled noisily with some demanding openly that the official stop speaking.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman then opened the congress.

Yusacc said the home affairs ministry would not discuss the incident, but would leave it to the HMI central board to deal with its members.

"They should hold introspection," Yusacc said. "It's not necessary for the ministry to reprimand the organization."

The opening ceremony was held at the Yogyakarta Palace complex, but the congress is being held at the Bimo Building, Kotabaru subdistrict. The building belongs to Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Subagyo H.S. (imn)