Businessman-cum-politician, Murdaya Poo, plays down his dismissal from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the House for disloyalty, saying the decision was based on false reports.
Murdaya Poo, husband of politician Siti Hartati Murdaya of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said he was not disappointed with his party's decision as he had joined the party because the party needed him more than he needed it.
"I joined the PDI-P not for money, but because I wanted to help the party. "I don't care about the party's decision and don't want to talk about it," he said.
PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anum announced Thursday that Poo was fired for his political support for President Yudhoyono during the July 8 presidential election.
PDI-P deputy secretary general Agnita Sinedekane also said that Poo admitted to having received a portion of the Bank Century bailout funds worth Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716.56 million).
The PDI-P is the party pushing for an inquiry of the Bank Century bailout scandal.
Poo denied the statements, which he said were nonsensical, claiming the party members that had fired him were only trying to score political points.
He also boasted that with his influence and power in the business world, he was the major contributor to the PDI-P's success.
"I helped a lot of people and I also helped the PDI-P a lot.
"Hundreds of thousands of people work for me. If some PDI-P members do not want my help any longer, then they are just a bunch of idiots," he said.
In the latest Forbes report, Murdaya was ranked 20th on the list of Indonesia's most-richest people. Forbes says that Murdaya's assets are worth some US$600 million.
Separately, Effendi Simbolon, another PDI-P legislator told The Jakarta Post that his party's decision to fire Poo was fair.
"The PDI-P's fact-finding team must have found strong evidence to fire Pak Poo," he said.
"Loyalty cannot be bargained for in the PDI-P, and if a member is not loyal, then they must be dismissed from the party," he said.
Democratic Party deputy chairman Achmad Mubarok told the Post that his party had no intention of including the dismissed Poo in its elite circle.
"We have no intention of seeking Pak Murdaya Poo's membership in our party, although our party has a tradition of openly accepting anyone wishing to join in," he said.
