Indonesians in Focus: Yenny Wahid

By Barrie | July 2nd, 2007 | No Comments

After being named the new secretary general of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Zannuba “Yenny” Arifah Chafsoh Rahman Wahid, the daughter of PKB founder and patron Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, tendered her resignation as a presidential aide for public communication. She recently spoke with The Jakarta Post’s Tifa Asrianti.

Question: What was the background behind your recent resignation from the Presidential Palace?

Answer: I believe I can optimize my capacity outside the system. If I were in the system, I might not be able to perform to the fullest, because by nature a special staffer does need to have a lot of influence. On the other hand, I am also an active member of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

So inside the system, I played a role that didn’t yield much power. And outside the system I couldn’t concentrate on all my work. I’d rather pick one of those two. Now, I feel I have more influence with the role I play. I can use my network and use my position to deliver my opinions on problems in society.

Was your decision based on an order from the party or was it a decision of your own?

I had been anxious (about leaving my post at the Palace) for a long time. I had been thinking about resigning. When I was appointed secretary general of the PKB it gave me the momentum to resign, without causing any significant political wave. If I resigned without any reasons, it would have caused a fuss.

Gus Dur once said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had never consulted him on the decision to replace Syaifullah Yusuf with M. Lukman Edy as State Minister for Disadvantaged Regions. Was that one of the reasons for your resignation?

No, that’s a very different thing. However, there is a connection in a way, in that I replaced Pak Lukman’s position. He was the secretary general of the PKB before being appointed as a minister, then I replaced him. Being a secretary general is very tough. I wouldn’t have been able to share my time between the palace and the party’s secretariat general office. It was better that I worked in one field.

By being a secretary general, I can do more. I can optimize our party’s power to defend society. I can harmonize with our members in the House of Representatives, if they’re discussing important matters (or) if they’re doing advocacy for the victims of the Lapindo mudflow. If I had stayed inside, I would have been confused about sharing my time.

By being outside the center of power, isn’t it difficult to channel the aspirations, interests and messages of PKB to the executive arm of government?

Not really. We have our faction as our representatives in the House, while at the national level, I have a good relationship with the President. When I left he told me we should maintain communication. At the regional level, we have regents and governors nominated by our party. I can reach them and tell them that our people have problems. I believe that will be more effective than working in the system.

Does your resignation mean the PKB will be an opposition party?

No. Our governmental system does not recognize any opposition. The PKB holds a critical function in a proportional way. And regardless of whether I’m in the system or not, this function is being done. Nothing has changed. When we have to criticize the government, we’ll criticize them. When we have to praise, we’ll praise. When we have to support, we’ll do so. So nothing has changed.

What will be your future political steps?

My short term plan involves the internal consolidation of my party, while in my long term plan I will compose my party’s programs to sharpen our vision, mission and struggle.

There are also a number of priorities within the short term. For example, the interpolation on Lapindo mud flow case which the party has to directly observe. We must also directly observe when the government submits the political bills to the House. Indonesia has many political dynamics and I have to observe all of those things.

What will your future political career be? Perhaps running for a seat in the House of Representatives?

I will go with the flow. Becoming a member of the House will have to wait until the 2009 general election. It’s possible. We’ll see about it. If I were needed, if anyone nominated me as a candidate and if I were asked by my party to do it, well, Insya Allah (God willing), I would do it. But if I wasn’t, it would be alright. I would continue contributing through my role (as secretary general).