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Chinese-Indonesian leads PDI-P Medan
Hasyim - JP/Apriadi GunawanChinese-Indonesian politician Hasyim has been selected by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggleâs (PDI-P) central executive board (DPP) to head the partyâs Medan branch, following deadlock in a branch conference last week
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Hasyim - JP/Apriadi Gunawan
Chinese-Indonesian politician Hasyim has been selected by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) central executive board (DPP) to head the party's Medan branch, following deadlock in a branch conference last week.
Hasyim is the first member of the ethnic Chinese community to be entrusted with leading the PDI-P in Medan, and will do so for the 2015-2020 term. Hasyim, 47, is the son of Adi Kurniawan and Roslina, both supporters of the Indonesian National Party Marhaenism (PNI Marhaenisme).
'This is an honor for the Chinese-Indonesian community because it has been given the opportunity to lead the PDI-P in the province,' Hasyim told The Jakarta Post at his home in Medan, North Sumatra, on Monday.
Hasyim said his appointment as PDI-P Medan chairman showed the party still upheld nationalist values and did not question racial elements.
He claimed he had never asked to be chosen as leader. According to him, those who asked for positions had no confidence in their own abilities.
'A position is a mandate and cannot be requested, especially by way of a bribe. That's not right,' said Hasyim.
He learned of his selection via PDI-P deputy secretary-general Ahmad Basara, who announced the decision at the North Sumatra PDI-P office in Medan on Sunday afternoon.
Besides Hasyim's appointment, the PDI-P DPP also appointed Sastra as secretary and Boydo Simanjuntak as PDI-P Medan treasurer.
During the branch conference last week, the three PDI-P Medan executives faced deadlock to appoint a leader. All three coveted the branch head position, so the final decision had to be handed to the DPP.
Hasyim said that now the appointment process was over, the time had come to unite to strengthen the party at the community level.
Also a Medan councilor, Hasyim said the branch's most pressing issue was the Medan mayoral election in December this year. According to him, the PDI-P must win the mayoral election and place its functionaries as regional heads.
'In past mayoral elections, the PDI-P has not been able to install its members as regional heads, but now they must sit as leaders,' said Hasyim optimistically.
He spoke of his desire to prove that under his leadership as a Chinese-Indonesian, the PDI-P could win the Medan mayoral election and legislative election in 2019. The key, said Hasyim, was for the PDI-P to cooperate with the people.
'We must not forget the people, wherever they come from. On the other hand, we will try to create synergy with the people to resolve the issues they face. This is my approach to leading the party [in Medan],' said Hasyim.
Asked whether he would run as a mayoral candidate in the mayoral election, Hasyim said he would not do so if instructed by his party. He said the PDI-P DPP would use a survey to decide the candidate to contest the mayoral election.
A Chinese-Indonesian youth leader in Medan, Halim Lo, said Hasyim's appointment proved the devotion of the Chinese-Indonesian community to the country. Halim added the matter was in line with the ideals of the community's Chinese-Indonesian predecessors who hoped future generations could dedicate themselves to the nation.
Halim said that based on Law No. 12/2006 on citizenship, Chinese-Indonesians born and raised in the country were recognized as native Indonesians.
'If we have become native Indonesians, we have the same rights and obligations as other ethnic groups, including to become party and regional leaders,' Halim told the Post on Monday.
