I

n his village in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, neighbors regard their golden boy Nazaruddin as a hero because of his generosity and his meteoric political career at the national level.

Within his own Democratic Party (PD), however, party elites want to get rid of him but are worried Nazaruddin could air their dirty laundry.

Democratic Party top executives are visibly uneasy after a person claiming to be Nazaruddin began making allegations about misconduct and crimes by the executives via text messages and a blog.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono’s party decided to send Sutan Bhatoegana, also from Pematang Siantar, to persuade Nazaruddin to return to Jakarta after he fled to Singapore a day before the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK) slapped a travel ban on him on May 24.

Nazaruddin was released from his duties as party treasurer amid intensifying rumors of his involvement in a high-profile bribery scandal surrounding a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games construction project in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Democratic Party spokeswoman Andi Nurpati said Sutan’s assignment to bring Nazaruddin back to Indonesia was a direct order from Yudhoyono, the party’s chief patron. “Yudhoyono wants all party members to respect the rule of law,” she told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia has no extradition agreement with Singapore. Critics have lambasted the absence of such an agreement, saying corruption fugitives, along with their illegal assets, continue to use Singapore as a safe haven.

Nazaruddin, whose parents are Indonesians of Pakistani descent, is highly popular in his home village.

Beringinta Bangun, Nazaruddin’s math teacher at SMA Teladan senior high school, said she was certain Nazaruddin would return to Indonesia soon to resolve his problems because he was a responsible student and never ran away from problems.

She said Nazaruddin was not only a former student but also a neighbor. She said that during his childhood, Nazaruddin was known for always helping his parents. After returning home from school, Nazaruddin would always help his parents at their shop, Beringinta said.

Nazaruddin, the fifth of seven children, was born on Aug. 26, 1978, in Bangun village, Pematang Siantar, to Aminah and Muhammad Latif Khan. “Both his parents are of Pakistani descent,” Beringinta said.

Nazaruddin was named Muhammad Nazaruddin Khan, but his father dropped the last name, so Nazaruddin and the other children do not use it.

Nazaruddin’s father passed away in 1993 when he was 12 years old. His mother passed away five years later.

Beringinta said that following the deaths of his parents, Nazaruddin moved to Riau after graduating from high school. There, she added, he managed a family-owned oil palm plantation.

Another neighbor, Sudiono, said that despite his success, Nazaruddin never forgot his hometown. Sudiono, who lives two houses down from Nazaruddin’s home, said Nazaruddin and his extended family returned to Bangun during Idul Fitri and Idul Adha every year.

“Nazaruddin and his family return to Bangun every year to visit his parents’ graves,” Sudiono said.