Soeharto Fans Offended by `Soeharto Corruption Teacher` Comment

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An organization comprised of Soeharto lovers called Hasta Mahardika Soehartonesia (HMS) filed a police report against Ahmad Basarah, PDIP’s deputy secretary general, for his comment which referred Soeharto as a corruption teacher.

“We don’t want past problems to be a bad precedent in the future,” said HMS brigade commander Rizka Prihandy when the group filed the police report on Monday night.

Rizka said that he alleges that Ahmad Basarah had violated Article 156 juncto Article 14 and 15 of the criminal code (KUHP) upon insults and the spread of false information. According to Rizka, the president that reigned Indonesia for 31 years before stepping down under public pressure in 1998, is considered to be a hero.

He claims that Soeharto’s services in developing Indonesia as a nation should not be easily put aside and likened the second president to first Indonesian president Soekarno and VP Mohammad Hatta.

Previously reported on November 28, Ahmad Basarah referred Soeharto as the teacher of corruption in Indonesia, which he claims aligns with; “The Temporary People's Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPR) No. 11/1998 suggests that the teacher of corruption is President Soeharto.”

Basarah argued that his statement about Soeharto was a response to the statement issued by presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto in an international event, claiming that corruption in Indonesia is as fatal as a stadium four cancer.

ADAM PRIREZA