Din Syamsuddin said Syafii Maarif, a former general chairman of Muhammadiyah, only spoke about what the president had told him as chairman of the Team of Nine formed by the president himself.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - General chairman of the central executive board of Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin asks the ruling party PDIP not to react negatively to statement by chairman of the Team of Nine Syafii Maarif on presidential decree on police chief candidate.

"There should be no such reaction," Din Syamsuddin said here on Thursday night.

Earlier Junimart Girsang, a PDIP lawmaker said Syafii Maarif "was not clear" and should not worsen a polemic about police chief candidate.

Junimart referred to statement by Syafii Maarif that he had received a telephone call from President Joko Widodo saying police Comr.Gen Budi Gunawan would not be installed as new police chief.

Budi Gunawan is a candidate proposed by the president and has been approved by the parliament, but his installation has been postponed as two days before the Parliament gave its approval, he was named a suspect in corruption case by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Din Syamsuddin said Syafii Maarif, a former general chairman of Muhammadiyah, only spoke about what the president had told him as chairman of the Team of Nine formed by the president himself.

"Syafii Maarif is a man known to always acts as dictated by his conscience , therefore, his statement was not part of the polemic about police chief candidate," Din Syamsuddin said.

Budi Gunawan has been in the center of public debate and controversy with the ruling party and the majority factions at Parliament urging the president to install the police three-star general and the Team of Nine and most observers against his installation.

Team of Nine, which composes of nine independent figures, is formed formed by the president to gather independent opinions and give recommendation to end the controversy.

"Syafii Maarif is a national leader in morality reference and chairman of Team of Nine," Din Syamsuddin said.

General chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth Dahnil Simanjuntak warned Junimart Girsang not to repeat an insulting remark about Syafii Maarif "as not clear."

"He has to be careful with his statement. Syafii Maarif is a leader of 30 million Muhammadiyah followers in Indonesia," Dahnil said.

Muhammadiyah is an influential non political Islamic Organization with large follower in the country.

Syafii Maarif and former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie; former deputy police chief retired Comr.Gen. Oegroseno; professor in international law at University of Indonesia, Hikmahanto Juwana; police affair observer Bambang Widodo Umar; former KPK leaders Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean and Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas; sociologist Imam Prasodjo; and former police chief retired gen. Sutanto make up the Team of Nine .(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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