IO, Jakarta – To respond to the growth of radicalism among Ministry and Agency bureaucracy, including staff at State-owned Enterprises (“SOE”), Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani recently “cleaned up” the environs of the Ministry of Finance of RI of what she called “Exclusive State Civilian Apparatus (Aparatur Sipil Negara – “ASN”)”. This step was one that the public appreciates – one that is considered as an effective breakthrough that reduces people’s anxiety. If ignored, anxiety over the infiltration of anti-Pancasilaist radicalism ideas from ISIS and HTI’s tarbiyah (religious guidance) movement into SOEs might grow into a national issue, due to its subversive nature.
There are more than 2 million people employed in SOEs in total, both ASN and outsourced. This signifies that SOEs have become a “soft target” for many groups to be used as “ATMs” and to increase the number of such interest groups’ cadres and agents. The most serious parasites that infiltrate SOEs are political interests disguised as religious groups. These infiltrations must be stopped for SOEs’ own sake, because of their strategic role as part of the State’s economic assets. We don’t want SOEs to be used to “feed” predators who want to destroy nationalistic and Pancasilaist values, because the very framework of society would be systematically and massively destroyed by these movements.
80’s activist and Indofarma Commissioner Teddy Wibisana stated that the infiltration of SOEs with radical ideas, as discovered by the National Agency for Combating Terrorism (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme – “BNPT”) and the National Intelligence Agency (Badan Intelijen Nasional – “BIN”), was originally discovery in a study performed by the Pesantren and Community Development Association (Perhimpunan Pengembangan Pesantren dan Masyarakat – “P3M”). P3M performed the study at 100 mosques located in the environs of 35 Ministries, 28 State agencies, and 37 SOEs. The overall P3M studies show that 41% of mosques in Governmental environs, whether SOE, State agencies, and Ministries have been infiltrated with radical ideas.
P3M defines “radicalism” as a tendency to consider one’s own group to be the only right one and other groups are in error, to easily consider other groups to be “heathens” and “infidels”; and an inability to accept differences, whether based on ethnicity, religion, or culture. The results of this study are truly felt in the existence of radical ulema, even ones from HTI who spoke in lectures, sermons, studies, and discussions in the SOE mosques (Telkomsel, Mandiri). Luckily, these events were finally cancelled due to public complaints. SOE employees, such as those from Indofarma, were also been found to be involved in identity politics. This is obvious from the items that they post in their social media accounts. “These radical views entered through Islamic Spirituality (Rohani Islam – “Rohis”) organizations in the SOEs, then spread out to other organizations,” Teddy said.
The spread of radicalism can be countered and suppressed by granting no opportunities to HTI-related ulema or otherwise radical ulema to “take the stage” in SOE environs. SOE directors have gathered to hear BNPT lectures on how to prevent the entry of radicalism among their employees. The Ministry of SOE must ensure that these directors follow up on the meetings down to employee level.
Meanwhile, another activist currently serving as Adhi Karya’s President Commissioner, Fadjroel Rahman, stated that the prevention of radical and anti-Pancasilaist ideas has developed greatly since 2013. Fadjroel stated that the eradication of terrorist and radical ideas, ideas that seek to uproot Pancasila, will continue to be upgraded within the next 5 years. “In this decade of 2014-2024, we are making efforts to restore Pancasila, which we have ignored and forgotten over the past 20 years,” he said. He added that 1968-1998 in Indonesia were decades of Pancasila indoctrination, while 1998-2017 was a vacuum period where Pancasila was effectively ignored.
As the President Commissioner of a large SOE, Fadjroel encourages comprehensive studies in order to assess the level of SOE infection by radical ideas. This would also help discover solutions for radicalism. “ASNs are obliged by Law to remain loyal to Pancasila. However, there is no such law for SOE employees. Therefore, we need to encourage the Government to be firm and stipulate that SOE employees must pledge their loyalty to Pancasila. We might also need to add love of NKRI and Pancasila into our screening process, not just seeking good leadership,” he said.
He also encourages the Government to provide national training about Pancasila in SOEs, Ministries, State agencies, colleges, and schools. He found that radical ideas have been instilled as early as pre-school, as found in an institution in West Java. “We might make a formal suggestion to the President to provide Pancasila training nationally in order to revive our love of Pancasila and thus protect ourselves against anti-Pancasilaist ideas,” he said in the public discussion themed “Assessing the Infiltration of Radicalism and Exclusive ASNs in SOEs” in Gedung Joang 45, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (26/06/2019). (Dan)