Hasyim Widhiarto and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta/Mataram – A group of university professors and intellectuals announced on Wednesday its collective endorsement of Gerindra Party presidential candidate and chief patron Prabowo Subianto, giving the retired army general another moral boost ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Former Bandung-based Padjadjaran University rector Yuyun Wirasasmita, who read the group's endorsement during a gathering in which Prabowo and Gerindra officials were in attendance, claimed the group represented 300 professors and intellectuals from all over the country who considered Prabowo to be the most suitable person to take on the country's complicated social and economic problems.
"Despite its abundant resources, Indonesia has failed to become what it should be: a developed country [...] We know the facts and we can't be fooled. We have found a leader that can transform Indonesia into a strong nation in the future," Yuyun said, referring to Prabowo.
Among the scholars and intellectuals that attended Wednesday's gathering were former Golkar Party lawmaker and Indonesian Muslim Scholar Association (ICMI) presidium board member Marwah Daud Ibrahim; Jakarta-based Dr. Hamka Muhammadiyah University (Uhamka) rector Suyatno; Jakarta-based Pancasila University's (UP) engineering professor Antonius Anton; and Mahmud Hamundu, former rector of the Haluoleo University in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi.
UP's school of communication dean Andi Faisal Bakti, who organized the gathering, however, said the group had only accommodated the political views from emeritus professors or non-civil servant professors to avoid conflicts of interest. "I, however, believe there would be more support for Pak Prabowo if we include [professors] who are classified as civil servants," Andi said.
The 2014 law on state civil apparatus prohibits civil servants from becoming a member of any political party. According to the Education and Culture Ministry, as of 2010 Indonesia had 4,717 professors out of a total of 197,922 university educators in 83 state universities and over 3,000 private institutions.
Prabowo said he felt honored by such an endorsement. "Your support reinforces my belief that we can eradicate poverty in this country."
Later in the day, Prabowo attended a discussion at the Muhammadiyah headquarters in Central Jakarta to share his vision and mission as a presidential candidate in front of the leaders of the country's second-largest Muslim organization.
"I'm supposed to be out of town today. But I dare not decline Muhammadiyah's invitation [to come here]. In this country, Muhammadiyah and NU [Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Muslim organization] are two organizations that you cannot ignore," Prabowo said, chuckling.
In his speech, Prabowo also deplored the "bitter fact" of Indonesia being unable to develop into an advanced country despite its abundant natural resources, a situation that Prabowo promised his audience would change under his leadership.
On the sidelines of the discussion, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said that the presence of Prabowo in the discussion did not indicate political support for Prabowo. "This not about political support, rather it is about holding an open discussion and sharing views," he said.
Meanwhile in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, heavy rain briefly disrupted a Golkar Party campaign rally, which was attended by the party's presidential candidate Aburizal Bakrie.
The majority of the audience in front of the main stage, totaling around 2,000 people, however, remained at the Sangkareang field to listen to Aburizal's speech.
In his speech, Aburizal repeated the same pledges from his previous campaigns, such as the provision for 12-year free education and easy access to loans with low interest for small and medium enterprises.
Mataram was Aburizal's second stop in his five-day Eastern Indonesia tour that will mark his final rally before the campaign season ends on April 5. Later on Wednesday, he and his entourage left for Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
[Bagus BT Saragih also contributes to this story.]
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/03/scholars-intellectuals-endorse-prabowo-s-bid.html