Surya Paloh, the chairman of the mass organization National Democrat (Nasdem), celebrated his 60th birthday on Saturday flanked by several public figures and hundreds of Nasdem members, amid rifts in Nasdem after Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Nasdem’s “national iniator” left the organization and inspired dozens of members to follow suit
urya Paloh, the chairman of the mass organization National Democrat (Nasdem), celebrated his 60th birthday on Saturday flanked by several public figures and hundreds of Nasdem members, amid rifts in Nasdem after Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, Nasdem’s “national iniator” left the organization and inspired dozens of members to follow suit.
Former Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif, one of the 45 people who championed the declaration of the movement, spoke at the event and criticized the government’s failure to curb corruption and prevent moral decay. He said the country was at a critical point and that it needed good leadership to embark on reforms.
“Our country has a President but no leader,” he said.
High-profile public figures such as Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, former finance minister Fuad Bawazier, former coordinating economic minister Rizal Ramli and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Tjahjo Kumolo were also present at the birthday celebration. Celebrities Butet Kertaradjasa and Djaduk Ferianto performed at the event.
“Thoughts just like Buya’s [as Syafii is affectionately called] supposed to be a new moral power to restore the nation’s movement of changes,” said the media mogul Paloh in his fiery speech, where he threw his fist into the air several times. “Without a common goal to stop moral erosion, we would not be able to do anything to change the country.”
Paloh said the event was staged at the historic Gedung Pola on Jl. Proklamasi to revive the spirit of nationality. The building was the site where founding president Sukarno and his prime minister Mohammad Hatta declared Indonesia’s independence on Aug. 17, 1945.
The Indonesian flag fluttered alongside the organization’s blue banners at the 3-hour event on Saturday.
No Nasdem official commented on Hamengkubuwono X’s resignation.
Nasdem’s establishment on Feb. 1 last year was heralded by ads in several national newspapers and TV ads on Paloh’s MetroTV station. The ads listed the names of the two national iniators — Paloh and Hamengkubuwono X — and the names of the 45 “national declarators”, including prominent members of political parties such as the Golkar Party and the PDI-P.
Both Paloh and Hamengkubuwono are members of Golkar. Golkar later issued a warning to its members not to join Nasdem.
In 2009, Paloh lost the race to chair Golkar to Aburizal Bakrie. There is a widespread belief that Nasdem was established as Paloh’s vehicle to create a new party despite his insistence that it would remain a non-political organization.
Last week, the head of the organization’s West Java branch, Sudrajat, announced his resignation from the organization.
Previously, the leaders of Nasdem’s Central Java branch reportedly resigned, following in the footsteps of Hamengkubuwono X, who said he left the organization because of the Nasdem Party, which bore too many similarities to the organization.
Paloh’s birthday celebrations, however, seemed to try to convey the message that all was well with Nasdem. At the event, he accepted a manifesto he said was a mandate for him “to carry on”.
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.