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National congress calm as vote nears
Book launch: People attend the launch of the book Boeah Fikiran Kijai H
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Book launch: People attend the launch of the book Boeah Fikiran Kijai H.A. Dachlan (The Ideas of Kijai H.A. Dachlan) at Muhammadiyahâs 47th congress in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday. The book, written by Abdul Munir Mulkhan, mainly focuses on the ideas of Muhammdiyah founder and Muslim cleric KH Ahmad Dachlan and Muhammadiyahâs history.(Antara/Darwin Fatir) (The Ideas of Kijai H.A. Dachlan) at Muhammadiyahâs 47th congress in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday. The book, written by Abdul Munir Mulkhan, mainly focuses on the ideas of Muhammdiyah founder and Muslim cleric KH Ahmad Dachlan and Muhammadiyahâs history.(Antara/Darwin Fatir)
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span class="inline inline-center">Book launch: People attend the launch of the book Boeah Fikiran Kijai H.A. Dachlan (The Ideas of Kijai H.A. Dachlan) at Muhammadiyah's 47th congress in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Tuesday. The book, written by Abdul Munir Mulkhan, mainly focuses on the ideas of Muhammdiyah founder and Muslim cleric KH Ahmad Dachlan and Muhammadiyah's history.(Antara/Darwin Fatir)
El-Faizi, a Muhammadiyah member from Mesuji regency in Lampung, sat alone calmly enjoying the music in an empty hall at Muhammadiyah University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, the venue for the national congress of the country's second largest Muslim organization.
It was a moment of calm only one day before the congress that will select 13 new leaders for the organization's board of leadership for the 2015 to 2020 term.
On the second day of the congress on Tuesday none of the 39 candidates were seen talking to any of the more than 2,600 participants, who are expected to cast their votes on Wednesday.
In fact, the candidates were preoccupied with listening to progress reports read by representatives of Muhammadiyah chapters from across the country.
'We have a tradition in Muhammadiyah that participants are never goaded to vote for particular candidates because it's uncommon to conduct campaigns during muktamar [national congress]. Whoever is elected as the chairman, we will accept the decision because it means that the majority of the forum wants him to lead the organization,' said El-Faizi, who is eligible to vote.
Other Muhammadiyah members said that the organization had a long history of peaceful congresses.
'We have this kind of peaceful muktamar every five years,' another participant, Taufan Amir from Bandung, told The Jakarta Post.
Earlier, Muhammadiyah branches across the country proposed a total of 82 potential candidates for the board of leadership, but during a plenary session held on Sunday, one day before the muktamar kicked off, 194 congress participants convened to come up with a shortlist of 39 candidates, which would be put to a vote on Wednesday.
'In Muhammadiyah, you can't ask to get a position and you should not compete for the position. If you are given the mandate by the muktamar then you should not reject it,' said Muhammadiyah secretary Abdul Mu'ti, who has been touted as the strongest candidate to replace retiring chairman Din Syamsuddin.
'It is our tradition here that if you are seen campaigning then you will be shunned by muktamar participants. Here, you are nominated and selected as leaders, you don't ask for a position,' said another candidate Zamroni, who currently serves as Muhammadiyah's treasurer.
Soon after the congress participants vote for 13 board members on Wednesday, they will then deliberate over who would be named Muhammadiyah's chairman for the 2015 to 2020 period. If they fail to reach an agreement, then they will have a vote.
A number of candidates for Muhammadiyah's top job declined to do interviews with the media on Tuesday out of concern that they could be seen as campaigning for the job. The candidates include former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Busyro Muqoddas, who has been seen as one of the strongest candidates in the race.
In an interview with the Post on Tuesday, candidate Anwar Abbas, who tops the shortlist of the 39 candidates, said that the next leadership of Muhammadiyah should expand the organization's role into other fields, including business and entrepreneurship to make profits for the good of the organization ahead of competition coming through the ASEAN Economic Community.
'Muhammadiyah is now stagnating in its roles in education and the health sector. We have hundreds of entities, which are non-profit, serving people in those sectors. Now it is time to move out of the comfort zone to create innovations in the economy,' Anwar said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mu'ti said that the new leadership should continue the organization's neutrality in politics and strive to maintain the organization's independence.
'Muhammadiyah is always neutral in politics. It should stand above various members' political choices. If Muhammadiyah is not neutral as an organization then we will fail our members,' Mu'ti said.
Mu'ti added that Muhammadiyah should encourage its members if they want to get involved in politics without necessarily involving the organization in politics.
In his speech on Monday night, Din said that Muhammadiyah was preparing a number of options to respond to future challenges with regard to politics.
The options include keeping a distance from any political parties or developing balanced relations with all political parties. Another choice is for Muhammadiyah to establish a political party to voice its aspirations, or to affiliate itself with a particular political party.
Muhammadiyah observer Kim Hyung-jun from Seoul National University warned Muhammadiyah against setting up its own political party as it would violate Muhammadiyah's long-standing practice of neutrality in politics.
'If members want to go into politics then go ahead, but don't drag Muhammadiyah into it,' Kim said.
