Managing Politics and Islam in Indonesia

MANAGING POLITICS AND ISLAM IN INDONESIA 47The sole basis law was submitted to parliament in 1982, after the elections,and passed by the MPR general session of 1983 in Enactment No.II/1983.PPP held its first congress in Jakarta in 1984, eleven years after its founding, atwhich it announced three broad objectives. They were, ‘to consolidate Pancasilaas the sole foundation’; ‘to conclude the process of the PPP merger’ and ‘tobecome more development oriented’. 35 Pancasila formally replaced PPP’sideology of Islam. In line with Law No. 1/1985 passed in parliament, whichprescribed the use of symbols related to Pancasila at the next elections, the partyeventually substituted a new ‘star’ symbol for its Islamic Ka’bah. 36 (Althoughthese changes appeared to reduce support for the party at the 1987 election theydid not prevent party faithful from identifying PPP with Islam in the 1992 and1997 general elections.) The parliament passed two other laws: Law No.3/1985and Law No.8/1985, enforcing the azas tunggal on all social and politicalorganisations, including Golkar.It is worth studying the texts of the two laws for a moment as they outlinepriorities of the state leadership, and make important connections between thesepriorities, for the reorientation of Indonesia’s organisational memberships. Thetwo laws were concerned with achieving ideological conformity and corporatistreordering of Indonesia’s associations. For example, Law No.8/1985, and Law No.18/1986 for the implementation of Law No.8, outlined the conditions for thecorporatising of non-party, community organisations. The clauses read that,based on profession, function, or religion, community organisations of similartype were ‘obliged’ to gather together ‘in merger or association’ under wadahpembinaan (supervisory organisations). These compulsory peak organisations, atthe national, provincial and district levels, would exercise sole representation offarmers through the Indonesian Farmers’ Harmony Association (HKTI), youththrough the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI), women through theIndonesian Women’s National Congress (KOWANI) and so forth. 37 TheIndonesian Ulama Council (MUI), established in 1975, was intended as thesingle national organisation to represent the interests of ulama vis-à-vis the state.The state administration had finally legislated what had been de facto policy,which sought to shut off parties from their lines of communication with thegrassroots and provide the bureaucracy with a near monopoly over channels ofrepresentation via corporatised non-party entities.Pembinaan (guidance) was a key concept employed by state leaders and wasdefined (Laws 1985 and 1986 and elucidation of Laws cited above) as aninitiative to ‘guide, protect and urge’ organisations to achieve an ‘independent’and ‘healthy’ growth in the service of ‘national objectives’. The main nationalobjective was stated as gaining the ‘increased’ and ‘active participation of allIndonesians in national development’ with a view to achieving a ‘Pancasilasociety’ underwritten by the 1945 Constitution. The peak organisations were toact as ‘instruments’ with which to ‘channel the thoughts and opinions of citizens’for the realisation of national development, through state-directed education,‘thought training’ and development of their memberships. Law No.18 outlined