Academician Writes Open Letter to Jokowi on Radicalism in Campus

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An academician at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Bagas Pujilaksono Widyakanigara Ph. D, wrote an open letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo regarding the campus environments that are often used as radical movement breeding grounds.

The engineering faculty lecturer wholly supports the notion that the president is able to elect and fire university rectors. He also suggests sacking rectors who let seeds of radicalism breed in campuses.

“Fire the rectors who let their campus become the hotbed for Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and other radical groups that are clearly against the Pancasila and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI),” said Bagas in his open letter to Jokowi on Wednesday, June 19.

Bagas, who did not mention any specific campus in Indonesia, also suggested the termination of lecturers proven to be radical before reminding that campus funds should exclusively be used for academic purposes and not religious politicizing.

He argues that the rising rightist political extremists in higher education facilities are mainly shaped by the rectors’ attitude and management skills.

“This has flourished radicalism within campuses that hide behind freedom and democracy. Isn’t that strange? Anti-freedom and anti-democracy groups are actually using freedom and democracy to destroy it,” he said.

MUH SYAIFULLAH (CONTRIBUTOR)