Jakarta – The National Police said on Sunday that a member of the Islamic Students Association (HMI) may be prosecuted for planning to throw shoes at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Suhardi Alius said the HMI member, Abdul Syukur Oumu, could be charged under the 2008 Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law. "Article 29 of the ITE Law stipulates that an individual who intentionally threatens another person faces a sentence of 12 years in prison," Suhardi said as quoted by kompas.com.

At a press conference held on Thursday, Oumu, who led an HMI-sponsored campaign to reject Yudhoyono's administration, said that throwing shoes at the President could be considered a good deed, given the empty statements that Yudhoyono had made in the past weeks. "What's the point of listening to his baloney. For us, throwing shoes at him would be halal," Oumu said.

HMI has been a staunch supporter of ousted Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum during his row with Yudhoyono over control of the party.

Anas led the HMI between 1997 and 1999.