HMI not to Defend members Involved in Corruption Cases

Jakarta - The general chairman of the Indonesian Moslem Students Association (HMI), Alto Makmuralto, said HMI would not defend members who are involved in corruption cases. "We prefer defending the nation rather than members who are involved in legal cases especially corruption cases," he said at a seminar to mark the organization's 66th anniversary here on Sunday. His statement came following the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) decision to name ruling Democrat Party general chairman Anas Urbaningrum, who is also former HMI chairman, suspect in a corruption case recently. Alto said HMI never taught its cadres things which are against Islamic teachings. "This is a difficult question to answer as many of our cadres have been involved in corruption," he said. He said HMI would fully refer those involved in corruption to justice. Meanwhile "HMI will remain consistent with its aim of preparing cadres with good character and behavior and who are also afraid of God," he said. Alto admitted that HMI's idealism had dropped compared to that before and "this will become HMI's agenda. Indeed no efforts have been taken for a long time to improve the organization. This probably has happened because the organization is an old organization and so the number of its members has increased a lot to make its management more difficult to implement." He hoped members would continue to love the organization and would not make it become a failed organization. "Sociologically HMI members must work in the community to improve it and become reformers and agents to prevent social ills and a failed community," he said. Alto said he hoped HMI could become a universal organization and became an intellectual forum for exchanging ideas," he said. Earlier the coordinator of the Presidium of the HMI Alumni Corps (KAHMI), Mahfud MD, also said that the organization also would not support members who are involved in corruption. "We will refer their cases to justice and would not protect them because their acts were acts of treachery," he said. (*)