JUSUF KALLA IS WELL-EXPERIENCED IN SOLVING THE NATION’S PROBLEMS
Muhammad Yusuf Kalla (JK), the Vice President (the previous term: 2004-2009 and this term: 2014-2019) becomes the first Indonesian who is taking the vice president position for twice with different partners. The native Bugis (South Sulawesi) decided to accept Joko Widodo’s proposal to be his partner in the last July 2014 presidential election.
Apart from political parties which are supporting him, JK is well-known as a social figure who repeatedly recorded successes as a peace broker in conflicts without leaving his strong and well-thought defense of Islam, the religion of the majority in Indonesia.
As an Indonesia Mosque Council (DMI) chief, one of the important issues that he noticed is to increase the competitiveness of small traders around mosques. So far, they compete with mini-markets which have greater capital and better management.
“We do not prohibit mini market, but DMI will help to increase the quality services of small traders. I’ve talked with a large telecommunication company in Indonesia, and they are ready to help,” he said.
JK is experienced in solving conflicts in various parts of Indonesia’s regions, such as in Ambon (Maluku), Poso (Central Sulawesi), and the prolonged armed conflict in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.
His role in Ambon and Poso conflicts become more apparent when JK became the Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare under President Megawati Sukarnoputri (2001-2004).
In the Poso conflict which displaced 40,000 people. JK thought, if aid continues to be given without conflict resolution, it would be useless. Then, he approached the warring parties. He invited them to meet in Malino, (Gowa regency, South Sulawesi). As a result The peace accord was successfully reached and it was called “The Malino I Agreement”, signed on December 20, 2001.
In solving Ambon conflict, he came to Ambon in the early 2002. He invited the warring parties to Malino. With his experience, they agreed to make peace. Thus, the agreement was known as “The Malino II Agreement”, signed in February 22, 2002.
Appointed as the Vice President by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) in 2004-2009, JK focused on the internal conflict in Aceh that could not yet be solved since Soeharto government.
JK got the “right time” to build peace in Aceh, when the province in the western part of Indonesia hit by the the great earthquake followed by tsunami in the end of 2004. He assured all Acehnesse that they had to stop fighting to make the relief and rehabilitation after tsunami easier. He said the relief could only be run if there was a peace in Aceh.
JK successfully softened the hearts of Aceh people who wanted to break away from the Republic of Indonesia through a series of meetings. To show the seriousness in bringing peace in Aceh, the government fulfilled the demands from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to autonomy in Aceh.
After becoming the Chairman of Indonesia Red Cross (PMI), JK was “cooling” the 2012 sectarian conflict in Kalianda, Lampung Province.
JK entered Rakhine, broke Myanmar military blockade
His work also expanded to various parts of the world.
JK has proved that he is not a minor politician. When all international humanitarian delegation failed to break the Myanmar military blockade of Rohingya, JK and his organization PMI successfully convinced the Myanmar government that he could be fair in giving aid to Rohingya. So, the Indonesian Red Cross became the first humanitarian agency which was allowed to give aid to the Rohingya in Siwee, a town in Rakhine.
The JK’s success surprised the Islamic world which has been focusing on the issue of slaughter. It certainly catapulted the name of Indonesia for being the first country sending humanitarian aid into Myanmar.
“Humanitarian assistance mission led by Kalla became the first delegation who was allowed to enter into Myanmar,” said the deputy of ASEAN Youth Cooperation, Abhiram Singh Yadav.
The President of Myanmar, Thein Sein, provided wide access for JK to visit the residents there, in August 2012. Although the dispute has not been fully solved, JK has shown that he was able to calm the conflict.
Because of his success, JK obtained the honor visit of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in December 2012.
In the meeting, OIC Secretary General asked JK’s ideas in solving Palestinian conflict, especially in Gaza.
Defense Islam in the midst of Christians
Talking about the issues of intolerance in Indonesia, the Deputy Secretary General of Indonesia Young Intellectuals and Ulema Council, Salim Idris told that JK has ever delivered a speech in front of 700 pastors in a Conference of Churches, Makassar.
In the question and answer session, there was a participant who asked about the relocation issue of Yasmin church in Bogor.
Then, JK replied: “Indonesian Christians already have 56 thousand churches in all Indonesia provinces. In addition, the growth of the churches in Indonesia is greater than the mosques. Then why the relocation issue of Yasmin church was presented by Christians all over the world?”.
“What’s wrong with the relocation? The Permission to build a church is not the Lord’s affairs, but it is the affairs of the mayor, “JK replied with high tone.
JK also gave the data of mosques construction prohibition in several provinces in East Indonesia where the majority population are Christians. “There are hundreds of prohibition of mosques construction in Papua, Mollucas, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Manado and many others, but we keep silent,” JK argued.
Other participants were asked, “Why offices in Indonesia should be built a mosque?”.
JK replied: “It is to honor you all. In Friday, we have no day off, but it is on Sunday. You can worship with many shifts, If you do not comfort if there is a mosque in the office, we could exchange the day off, Friday off, Sunday work.
“So, please Understand this as the honor of Muslims to Christians, ” he explained. (/R03/P001/P3)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
