Exclusive: Golkar Party Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji Affirms There is No Resistance to Jokowi

Where Jokowi will land after being said to no longer be a PDIP cadre has been hot news for the past few days. According to the Secretary General of the Golkar Party, Muhammad Sarmuji, SE, M.Sc., his party is ready to accept the former number one person in Indonesia if he wants to join. Until now, he has not heard of any resistance within Golkar against Joko Widodo.

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The statement by the Secretary General of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Hasto Kristiyanto, who said that the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo was no longer part of PDIP, raised questions about which party would be his place of work. Shortly after that, several party leaders stated that they were ready to accept Jokowi if he wanted to join.

So far, there have been three political parties that have openly stated their readiness to accommodate the father of Vice President Gibran Rakabuming: the Golkar Party, the Gerindra Party, and the National Mandate Party (PAN).

"Golkar is an open party. If there are people who want to join, we will welcome them with open arms. Never mind Mr. Jokowi, a figure who still has influence in society and has the capacity, a former president for two terms, and is still loved by the majority of the Indonesian people. We will also welcome ordinary people with open arms, let alone Mr. Jokowi," said Muhammad Sarmuji.

According to Sarmuji, history has recorded how the relationship between the Golkar Party and Jokowi has been established since the first period of his leadership as president. In extreme terms, he described that the Golkar Party in Jokowi's leadership era not only supports every policy that is rolled out, but is like the president's party.

Indeed, Jokowi's presence is predicted to be followed by his loyal supporters. This support base is very different from the traditional base of the Golkar Party. From this side, Golkar has the potential to gain electoral advantages.

"If Mr. Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, then there will be a slice of Mr. Jokowi's supporters who will also enter the Golkar Party. That is different from the traditional base of the Golkar Party so far. So, we will get an expansion of the political base," he said.

Until now, Sarmuji continued, Golkar is in a waiting position. They have not tried to invite or approach Jokowi. If Jokowi joins, they will welcome him with open arms. Conversely, if not, they will not be disappointed.

"So far, I have not heard any rejection. This is only being widely reported in the media. Actually, there are no signs that Mr. Jokowi will join the Golkar Party. If Mr. Jokowi does join, I am sure there will be no resistance," he emphasized to Edy Suherli, Bambang Eros, and Irfa Meidianto from VOI, who met him at the Golkar Party DPP Office, Slipi, West Jakarta, Saturday, December 7. Here is the full excerpt.

Regarding Jokowi, Golkar Party Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji said there was no resistance within Golkar. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

What is Golkar Party's view on PDIP's decision to fire Jokowi? Does this reflect division within PDIP?

Mr. Jokowi is an independent figure, like other Indonesian people. He is free to vote, associate, and gather because it is guaranteed by our constitution. I am sure Mr. Jokowi will consider carefully before deciding on his next steps after no longer being part of PDIP.

So far, there are three political parties that have stated their readiness to accommodate Jokowi after he is no longer in PDIP: Golkar, Gerindra, and PAN. Do you see a chance that Jokowi will join one of these parties?

Golkar has had a long relationship with Mr. Jokowi. Since his first term in office, Golkar has been a party that supports almost all of the president's policies, especially in parliament. Golkar was the leading party in securing President Jokowi's policies at that time.

How ready is Golkar Party to accommodate Jokowi?

Golkar is an open party. If there are people who want to join, we will welcome them with open arms. Let alone Mr. Jokowi—a figure who still has great influence in society, extraordinary capacity, a former president for two terms, and is still loved by the majority of the Indonesian people—we will welcome ordinary people with open arms, let alone Mr. Jokowi.

If Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, what position is right for him?

For the position, of course we will discuss it. Currently, the position in the Golkar Party management has been fixed after being announced. However, we will give him proper respect if he joins the Golkar Party.

What impact will it have on the Golkar Party if Jokowi joins?

My prediction is that if Mr. Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, there will be a slice of Mr. Jokowi's supporters who will join. This support base is different from the traditional base of the Golkar Party so far, so we will get an expansion of the political base.

Are there any attempts to approach Jokowi so that he joins the Golkar Party?

Frankly, there have been no such attempts. Because even without any attempts to approach, our relationship with Mr. Jokowi is already quite close. It remains to be seen whether there are strong signs that he wants to join or not. Of course we will not offer it too explicitly to Mr. Jokowi. But even without an offer, if he is willing, we will happily welcome him to the Golkar Party.

Golkar Party Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji is confident that if Jokowi joins Golkar Party, his supporters will follow. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

In addition to the Golkar Party, there are also Gerindra and PAN who have stated their readiness to accept Jokowi. In your opinion, how big is the chance for Jokowi to join the Golkar Party?

All parties have a chance. Currently, the ball is in Mr. Jokowi's court, whether he wants to join the Golkar Party, Gerindra, or PAN. The personal relationship between the Golkar General Chairperson and Mr. Jokowi is very close, as is the emotional relationship between the Golkar Party and Mr. Jokowi. In fact, at an event at the Bogor Palace seven years ago, before Mr. Airlangga led Golkar, I joked with Mr. Jokowi. At that time I said that Golkar was not only a party that supported the government, but was like the president's party. Because every policy of President Jokowi is secured by the Golkar Party.

What message do you want to convey to Golkar Party supporters regarding this issue?

I emphasize to Golkar Party supporters not to worry, because this is not to replace the personnel that have been there so far. In fact, this is a step to increase the party's strength. Those in the party also do not need to feel threatened, on the contrary, this provides new hope for increasing the Golkar Party's political base.

If Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, will it have any impact on the coalition parties?

I don't think there will be any jealousy. In my opinion, Mr. Jokowi will consider carefully before deciding which political party he will join. Whether it is for his personal interests or for the public interest.

When faced with two choices, Jokowi for all coalition parties or joining one party, which do you think is better?

There are pros and cons to each. If Mr. Jokowi remains above all political parties, he can play a role in uniting all the parties that are our coalition partners. However, if Mr. Jokowi ends up joining one party, that is not bad either.

Objectively, what are the advantages of Jokowi in your opinion?

Until today, Mr. Jokowi still has a strong political base. Apart from supporters, of course there are also people who don't like him. There are people who function as critics, and I think that's normal. However, compared to those who are against it, in my opinion, the number of those who are pro is still much greater.

If someone thinks that this Golkar Party's move is to seek popularity, what is your response?

We don't need popularity, because the popularity of the Golkar Party is already high, hehehe. So, we don't need to maneuver just to gain popularity.

If Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, will the relationship with the PDIP be disrupted?

No, because the PDIP Secretary General himself has said that Mr. Jokowi is no longer part of the PDIP. As a citizen, he is free now, including free to determine which political party to join. Political choices cannot be prohibited.

When Jokowi finally decides to join one of the parties, will it change the political constellation in the country?

I don't think so, no one will feel hurt. Moving from one political party to another is a common thing. When someone makes a political choice, we must respect it. I joked when asked by reporters, "If it's hot outside, under a banyan tree it's cool."

So in the context of Jokowi, the banyan tree is ready to provide shade?

Absolutely ready. If other people are also hot, we are ready to accommodate them. We provide a very cool place, with good oxygen. Because under the shade of a banyan tree, it is not exposed to direct sunlight, so it must feel cool.

People see Jokowi as a figure who can color many political parties in the country. In other words, people call it 'cawe-cawe'. What is your response to this?

A person's involvement in politics needs to be interpreted positively, not negatively, as long as the goals and motives are good. I believe that Mr. Jokowi's motives and goals are for the good of society. Some people call 'cawe-cawe' with the impression that he has no rights at all. In fact, as a citizen, he has political rights. Political activity is part of a citizen's rights.

Is 'cawe-cawe' felt in the Golkar Party's policies?

In the context of the Central Java Pilkada, for example, Mr. Jokowi supports one of the candidate pairs. That's because he believes that the pair can be good regional leaders. That's a positive thing. As long as the motive and goal are good, there's nothing to question, unless the motive is destructive.

In the context of the Jakarta Pilkada, Jokowi also supports the candidate pair from the coalition party. How do you see it?

The situation is a bit different in Jakarta. Mr. Jokowi, although he supports them, did not have time to go down in person. In Central Java, he went down in person, maybe because that's the area where he lives. If Mr. Jokowi had taken the time to go down in Jakarta, I'm sure the results would have been different. If the Jakarta Pilkada is set to have two rounds, we hope Mr. Jokowi will go down, if he is willing. He has historical ties to Jakarta because he was once a governor, just like in Central Java, where he was once the Mayor of Surakarta. The people in the two regions have a good collective memory of Mr. Jokowi.

Back to the plan for Jokowi to join. Is there any resistance within the Golkar Party?

So far, I have not heard of any rejection. This is only a big deal in the media. Actually, there are no signs that Mr. Jokowi will join the Golkar Party. If Mr. Jokowi really joins, I am sure there will be no resistance.

So is the Golkar Party ready to accept Jokowi joining?

Yes, that's how it is. Other parties will definitely be happy if Mr. Jokowi joins. So, it's not just the Golkar Party that is happy.

 

This is Muhammad Sarmuji's Signature Dish

Muhammad Sarmuji will cook at special events such as breaking the fast together. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

When there is free time or a moment to gather with family and colleagues, Muhammad Sarmuji uses it to channel his hobby of cooking. The Secretary General of the Golkar Party has a signature dish that is rarely found in restaurants or stalls typical of East Java. The dish is now considered rare.

Indeed, Sarmuji does not cook every day. He is like a guest chef who is only “invited” to important events. “I usually cook when there are family and colleague gatherings, or iftar events together,” said the man born in Surabaya, June 10, 1974.

Soto is one of the dishes he often cooks. “Usually I cook chicken soto or beef soto. On other occasions, I cook rawon, a typical East Javanese dish with meat as the main ingredient. What is distinctive is the black broth because it uses keluak,” he continued.

If the ingredients are available, Sarmuji also cooks traditional East Javanese dishes that are rarely found in restaurants. “It’s called botok sembilang, which is an estuary fish that is similar to catfish, but has three stingrays. After being grilled, it is then cooked with special spices that have been passed down from generation to generation,” said the Head of the Jember Branch of the Islamic Student Association (HMI) 1998 - 1999.

According to Sarmuji, sembilang fish cannot be replaced with other fish. “That’s why I brought it from Surabaya, grilled,” he said.

Usually, Sarmuji serves his signature dish during breaking the fast together or other important events. The guests are already familiar with the fact that this signature dish will be available. “They usually ask before coming, ‘Is there botok sembilang?’,” he said.

In addition, Sarmuji also has another signature dish, namely grilled milkfish with coconut milk pecel. “The milkfish is grilled, then given spices like urap, then fresh coconut milk is added. If there is no milkfish, it can be replaced with 3T: egg, eggplant, and tempeh, hehehe,” he said with a smile.

Futsal and Running

Although busy with various activities, Muhammad Sarmuji still makes time for sports. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

Despite being busy with various political activities in the Golkar Party and his duties as a people's representative in the Indonesian House of Representatives, Muhammad Sarmuji still makes time to exercise. The exercise he does is quite heavy for someone who is already half a century old. He still has a schedule to play futsal once a week. If he can't play futsal, he replaces it with running.

Sarmuji actually has a futsal training schedule every Wednesday night. "But sometimes I can't join because it clashes with events with the Golkar General Chairman or other activities that must be discussed," he said.

Because the futsal schedule is often missed, Sarmuji tries to keep running using a treadmill at home. "If I run on a treadmill, I try to do it regularly. Because exercise is important to maintain health and fitness," he added.

As a politician, he is grateful to have the full support of his family. "My wife and children really understand my activities as a politician. Sometimes there are still activities until the weekend. Like today, besides interviews, I have to close the Golkar Institute event. We often lose the luxury of time to gather with family. Alhamdulillah, my family understands," he said gratefully.

Don't be Allergic to Politic

The stigma of politics being dirty, said Muhammad Sarmuji, must be thrown away. If there are dirty politicians, it is the duty of good people to clean them up. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

Sarmuji realized that in society, politics or political parties often experience a decline in meaning. "Politics should be noble, but now it is viewed badly by some people," said the husband of Luluk Maknuniah.

According to him, politics must be interpreted as the highest public good. "That's how ancient Greek philosophers interpreted politics. Only through politics can public affairs be managed. Through political policies, the lives of many people can be regulated. So, we cannot avoid politics because all matters, from waking up to going back to sleep, from birth to death, are regulated through political policies," he explained.

Therefore, he called on young people and the millennial generation to realize the importance of politics for life. When entering the realm of politics, a politician must be able to carry out his role well, so that the work of politicians can become the highest public good.

The stigma that politics is dirty, continued Sarmuji, must be thrown away. "If there are dirty politicians, then good people are obliged to clean them up," said Muhammad Sarmuji.

"My prediction is that if Mr. Jokowi joins the Golkar Party, then there will be a slice of Mr. Jokowi's supporters who will join the Golkar Party as well. That is different from the traditional base of the Golkar Party so far. So we will get an expansion of the political base,"

Muhammad Sarmuji