TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) deputy secretary Tengku Zilkarnain was confronted by the Dayak people at Susilo Sintang Airport in West Kalimantan.
A video showing the airplane that carried Mr. Tengku parked at Sintang Airport was uploaded to Youtube on January 11. Alongside the plane were dozens of Dayak people wearing traditional costumes. Police were seen guarding the crowd. They tried to calm the crowd down.
Some yelled: “You have undermined Indonesia, don’t you dare come down here.” Nearby the crowd, three men hurled a banner bearing the words: “FPI Ormas Anti Pancasila dan UUD 1945, Harus Dibubarkan...!!” (The FPI [Islamic Defenders Front] is a mass organization that is against Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, It must be disbanded..!)
Tengku Zulkarnain told Tempo in a phone interview that he decided not to get off the plane due to the protests. “The Dayak people pointed mandaus (daggers) to me, they came at me when I walked out of the door,” Tengku said on Thursday.
The video had been viewed over 15,000 times, garnering 104 comments.
Mr. Tengku’s visit to the region was made following Sintang Regent’s invitation to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday. He was accompanied by his son Lukman Hakim and another cleric.
West Kalimantan Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Suhadi SW had said that the incident was caused by misunderstanding. Police had also called for calm following the incident.
EGI ADYATAMA | YOHANES PASKALIS
