Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum defended fellow party member Sutan Bhatoegana on Sunday after his controversial remarks received sharp criticisms from other politicians

Sutan attacked politicians from the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Friday, saying that as members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition, they should stop criticizing the government's decision to bail out the former Bank Century in 2008.

Sutan described politicians who criticized the Rp 6.7 trillion ($737 million) bailout as "ikan salmon" ("salmon fish") which is short for "intelektual kagetan asal ngomong," or "intellectual posers who don't know what they are talking about."

Golkar politician Bambang Soesatyo responded by calling Sutan an "anchovy" who likes to muddy the Democratic Party, which he called "a clear water." PKS politician Nasir Djamil also said Sutan is a "piranha" who doesn't "act the way he thinks."

Anas said on Sunday that all politicians must restrain their "political lust" and refrain from making "political noise" for the sake of political stability. "Political noise must be averted because it reflects political selfishness and isn't serving the good of the people," Anas said.

The recent spat, he said, would mar the government's economic achievement and dissuade foreign investors, who have been lured by the recent investment grade rating from Fitch Ratings. "A stable political democracy will become the support for economic growth, and that is the kind of politics that emphasizes the people's needs," he said.

Bambang, however said it is Sutan's remarks, not his reaction, that warrants criticism. "As a politician, a Democratic Party cadre [Sutan] should help the local government in conflict zones instead of plotting an open attack to other parties that have been critical," he said on Sunday.

Bambang said Sutan should have focused on other pressing issues such as the rising number of violent crackdowns on protests linked to labor and land disputes in Sumatra and West Nusa Tenggara, as well as recent shootings of civilians in Aceh. "It is the behavior of the Democratic Party cadres that makes political noise," he said.

PKS and Golkar are the only two parties in Yudhoyono's coalition questioning the bailout, along with several opposition parties, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

Critics have argued the bailout was unnecessary because the bank did not pose a threat to the nation's economy and because the bank's former owners had engaged in dubious activities. The bank was renamed Bank Mutiara after the government assumed control of it in 2009.