Exclusive, Secretary General of NasDem Party Hermawi Taslim: Although Supporting Jokowi Until The End, But We Remain Critical

Although they are in President Jokowi's government coalition and support him until the end of the term, according to the Secretary General of the NasDem Party, Hermawi Taslim, they remain critical. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

The promises that have been made to constituents to support Jokowi's government until the end of the term have made the NasDem Party survive. In fact, said the Secretary General of the NasDem Party, Hermawi Taslim, SH, many parties want them to leave the government coalition. They didn't do this, but the critical issue of Jokowi's government could not be stopped. How to balance support and critical attitudes?

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Unexpectedly, two of the three NasDem Party cadres in the Advanced Indonesia Cabinet had to end their duties as ministers in a tragic way. They were dismissed because they were involved in a corruption case. First, Johnny G. Plate, who served as Minister of Communication and Information Technology, was caught in a corruption case in the construction of the Kominfo 4G base transceiver station (BTS) tower. Second, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who serves as Minister of Agriculture, is suspected of committing extortion while in office, carrying out gratification and money laundering within the Ministry of Agriculture. Now only Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, M.Sc, who still remains as Minister of Environment and Forestry.

According to the man whose full name is Hermawi Franziskus Taslim, SH, their attitude as a party is very firm towards its cadres who are involved in corruption cases because this violates the integrity pact of the NasDem party. “NasDem has an Integrity Pact. "If we violate criminal acts of corruption, crimes against children and women, terrorism, and crimes against the state, we will stop them even though the case has not yet been resolved," said Taslim, who replaced Johnny G. Plate as party secretary general.

The pressure for NasDem to leave the coalition is very strong. However, Taslim said they remained because they had already expressed their commitment to support Jokowi's government until the end of their term of office. “Many want us to leave President Jokowi's government coalition. "However, we will remain in government, because of our commitment to support the Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin pair until the end of their term in office in 2024," he stressed.

Even though it is in the ruling coalition, NasDem remains critical of Jokowi's government. The most striking thing is the issue of Anies Baswedan's nomination as NasDem Presidential Candidate. When several high-ranking coalitions and non-coalition party officials approached Jokowi to continue to follow the question of who would be nominated as a presidential candidate, Nasdem bravely differed, nominating Anies Baswedan as the 2024 presidential candidate. During the campaign period for candidate pair Anies Baswedan - Muhaimin Iskandar (AMIN) who was supported by NasDem, PKB, and PKS continued to criticize government policies. However, Hermawi Taslim said that the criticism they made was constructive criticism as a form of their love for this country.

There are at least three points that Hermawi Taslim noted in the Jokowi government, namely the issue of IKN Nusantara, the Jakarta Bandung High Speed Train and the government's lack of attention to maritime infrastructure. Apart from criticism, there are also Jokowi policies that are good and can be continued. "During the campaign he competed, but after governing he embraced his political opponents. "So after fighting and then playing together, it's good and can be imitated," said Hermawi Taslim to Edy Suherli, Savic Rabos, and Irfan Medianto from VOI who met him at Nasdem Tower, Jakarta recently. Here is the full excerpt.

Not just proposing, the Secretary General of the NasDem Party, Hermawi Taslim, revealed the reasons for making Anies Baswedan the 2024 presidential candidate. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Each candidate pair has started campaigning for the 2024 presidential election, how are your party champions prepared?

Talking about the presidential election, I think we are the most prepared. The problem is that on October 3 2022 we were the first to declare presidential candidate Anies Baswedan in this building. The following year, on October 2 2023 at the Yamamoto Hotel Surabaya, we together with PKB declared the pair Anies and Muhaimin to run as presidential/vice presidential candidates. On October 19, 2023, we were the first couple to register Anies and Muhaimin with the KPU. I have said to my friends that we are pursuing the destiny of change, hopefully, our steps can reach the palace.

Is there a strategy to "steal the start" from other candidate pairs?

We do this under the umbrella of the law. There is no stealing a start here, because we are not thieves, but candidate pairs. We do it within the framework of the law, that's clear.

Candidate AMIN conveyed criticism of government policies, including regarding IKN Nusantara. What message will be conveyed to the public?

All the criticisms we have expressed are the crystallization of the dialogue carried out by Anies Baswedan from Aceh to Papua in the past year. The message we want to convey, we want this country to be good. If we criticize, it is a form of our love for this nation. That is our attitude to advance Indonesia. The spirit of change, from what is now to be better.

What current government programs do you think need to be improved?

We have specifically included it in the vision and mission of the AMIN candidate pair. However, in general, I can state that I want to create a just and prosperous society for all Indonesian people in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution. Has it been realized? Some of it has been, but there is still a lot that has not been realized, which we will make happen.

The issue of IKN Nusantara was most highlighted by the AMIN pair, whereas so far NasDem and PKB have been involved in the formulation and ratification of the IKN Nusantara Law in parliament, why is it being questioned now?

We NasDem and PKB are indeed involved in formulating IKN Nusantara in parliament. NasDem's commitment remains to support Jokowi-Ma'ruf Amin until the end of his term of office in this second term. That is NasDem's promise to the Indonesian people. What we do is criticize and provide input, this is part of our affection for IKN Nusantara. This is a mandate of the law to move the national capital. Next, how do we make IKN Nusantara as attractive as Jakarta. Mr. Anies and Muhaimin expressed a critical attitude towards ensuring environmental sustainability, ensuring that the government can run well there. So what we are criticizing is about the moving date, building a capital cannot be done in a short time, just look at the experience of other countries whose capitals have moved. The legal umbrella for IKN is the Law, for better interests, the Law can be revised. We participated in passing the IKN Law and we will also revise it. Why not? If there is revision 1, why can't revision 2?

How do you rate the Jakarta Bandung Fast Train (KCJB)?

KCJB does have its pros and cons when construction begins. Now that it is operational, there are still criticisms. The final stop is at Tegalluar station, then there is a feeder train to Bandung City. We have to maintain it and improve it. What else can we do, this has become our asset.

It is planned that this fast train will continue to Surabaya, what do you think?

For plans to go to Surabaya, we will be involved and provide input. For example, the final stop should not be outside the city, such as in Bandung. Must actually arrive in the city of Surabaya. The DPR will monitor it. KCJB indeed deviated a lot. At first, the funding was from business to business, but later it changed to the government. Because it has been promulgated, we are guarding it.

What we need to wait for in the future is whether the government will still prioritize infrastructure on land as it has so far. Why not look at marine infrastructure. Because our country is maritime. In my mother's village on Nias Island, there are lots of islands, but there are only ports on two islands. The rest just rest on the beach.

It is time for future governments to pay more attention to maritime infrastructure, because so far, said the Secretary General of the NasDem Party, Hermawi Taslim, President Jokowi's government has paid more attention to infrastructure on land. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

What about the sea highway and maritime axis launched by the Jokowi government?

Although sea highways and maritime axles are concepts offered by Mr. Jokowi, in practice they receive little attention. Finally what we see now. It is not easy to build infrastructure at sea. We have focused on the mainland for too long, even though this country is an archipelago. In various regions, there are still many islands that do not have ports. Even though the island and harbor are like brother and sister. How can we progress if we don't have a port.

What is good about President Jokowi that can be continued?

The tradition that Mr. Jokowi built involving many parties in running the government must be noted. Embracing political opponents to join the government. So after fighting and then playing together, it's good and can be imitated. All parties are needed to develop the country, Mr Jokowi accommodates everyone. NasDem is also at odds with Jokowi on various fronts, but on the other hand, we raise the flag with Jokowi until the end of the period. How many tried to expel us from the government coalition, but we did not run. We want to be sporty.

Political parties are the most ideal cadre institutions, but the reality is that outsiders can suddenly join a political party in Indonesia and immediately occupy the helm. What do you think is wrong with our political parties?

Political parties are regulated by law, and internal parties have AD/ART which regulates them in more detail. If someone else suddenly enters a party and becomes leader within a few days, we'll see what the ending will be like. As long as there are no protests from internal circles, it means that their rules are like that. Later the people will judge it. The NasDem Party and other parties still order their cadres to be ranked in certain positions and also at the top of the leadership.

So there is a high-profile politician who immediately occupied the top position in a short time, what is your view?

Whether instant or not, it depends on his morality, and whether they can accept it or not. Maybe for them, instant is not a problem, but for us, it is a problem.

In the context of NasDem, we observe the absence of qualified cadres and then nominate Anies Baswedan, how do we explain this condition to cadres and the public?

The presidential election is not an election for party leadership, but rather choosing the nation's best son to lead this country. Mr. Surya Paloh when declaring Anies Baswedan said; "Why not the best". In our eyes, choosing a presidential candidate is to choose the best one to serve all the people, so we don't have to insist on NasDem cadres. If there is something better from outside, why not, this is in the interests of the nation. If a political party nominates its own cadres in the presidential election, they feel that those cadres are the best for this nation and state.

Currently, there are no internal NasDem members, so that's why Anies is being promoted?

The point now is that we think Anies Baswedan is the best person to be a servant of the people. In time NasDem will have its own cadres that can be promoted.

When announcing Anies Baswedan as the presidential candidate, Surya Paloh left it to Anies to find his own vice presidential candidate, but in reality his "tail" was being held, he had difficulty finding a vice presidential candidate, the approach taken by AHY was crude, what really happened?

The name Muhaimin came from Anies, then he was brought to the coalition party. There is a fourth clause in the coalition party agreement that the presidential candidate is given the authority to nominate a vice presidential candidate. For the name Cak Imin, PKS and NasDem agreed because they had enough. The matter of holding his tail is just public opinion. In fact, the name Cak Imin, Anies, was the one who proposed it, consulted the coalition political parties and we agreed.

Those who disagree then leave the change coalition?

Yes, it's a matter of choice, we respect that choice. Our relationship with friends in the Democratic Party is still good.

What is your view on dynastic politics which has recently been criticized by students, political observers, and academics?

Dynasty politics does not only occur in Indonesia, but also in various countries. Regarding Mr. Jokowi's son entering politics, it is not only Mr. Jokowi's will, but also supported by other political parties. We will leave it up to the people whether they will support it or not. If there are still ripples in the Constitutional Court, we will just leave it to the applicable legal process.

So you think there is no problem with dynastic politics?

If you have the ability and capacity, why not? Like former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew whose footsteps were continued by his eldest son Lee Hsien Loong. Is Mr. Jokowi's son, who is now involved in politics, qualified? Let the people judge. What is important when entering the political stage is not to conflict with applicable ethics and laws.

What advice do you have for those who want to follow in their parents' political footsteps?

Playing politics is the right of every citizen and that is normal. The important thing is to hone your qualities and capacities. Now it doesn't matter what religion we are, what ethnicity we are, where we come from, what is important is what we can do for this nation and state. To achieve good quality there must be stages that are passed. According to Thamrin Amal Tamagola, what is called cadre formation is that it first bruises and then blooms. What is happening now is that we don't know when it will grow, suddenly it will flower and bloom. Are these plastic flowers?

For the legislative elections, what is the NasDem Party's target of gaining votes, how many DPR RI seats does it want to win?

NasDem has only participated in elections twice. In 2014, our vote share was 7.6 percent, equivalent to 36 DPR RI seats. In the 2019 election, the NasDem Party saw the highest increase, from 36 seats to 59 seats (9.9 percent of the vote). In 2024 our target is at least number 3, in 2019 we are number 4. Our target is 100 seats in the DPR RI. Now all the cadres have gone down to the electoral district, only Mr. Surya Paloh and I are guarding this office.

NasDem's potential vote bank in which areas?

Currently, our strength is outside Java. If you check the election results of all the expansion provinces such as Riau Islands, Babel, North Maluku, West Sulawesi, we all have representatives in the DPR RI. The requirement to reach 100 seats, none of the 84 electoral districts are vacant. That's our tough task. Our burden is on the island of Java; yesterday in East Java out of 11 electoral districts we got 9. In Central Java out of 10 we got 5 electoral districts, West Java only got 5 seats out of 10 electoral districts. In Banten NasDem was empty, and in Jakarta only got 1 seat out of 22 seats.

Are you optimistic about achieving this target?

We are optimistic because our resources are much better than in previous elections. We are optimistic because our internals are becoming more solid. Hopefully, people will put their trust in us.

New voters and millennials are the largest, what is the strategy to reach them?

Yes, that's right, millennials have special attention. In NasDem there is a chairman of the DPP for Millennials. We have a millennial working group, there are also periodic agendas in each province for millennials. We handle millennials specifically.

Political costs in Indonesia are very high, why?

Because our territory is wide. Then money politics in many places has become the norm. When NasDem was founded we made a breakthrough without a dowry. This is a concrete way to reduce political costs. We annulled the victory of several cadres because they were proven to have committed money politics.

Almost all parties have cadres involved in corruption, whether OTT or not OTT, why do you think this can happen?

NasDem has an Integrity Pact. If we violate criminal acts of corruption, crimes against children and women, crimes against terrorism against the state, we will stop them. The difference is that we are different from other parties which have only just been released. We thank law enforcement who helped us clean up our home. In NasDem there are 1,862 members of the DPR and DPRD. If anyone is caught by the Corruption Eradication Committee, so be it, that's rubbish. Please go to prison, because we have limited supervision over them. However, our commitment to restoration includes the principle of equality before the law regardless of position.

What is the status of Johnny G. Plate and Syahrul Yasin Limpo, are they still members of NasDem or have they been dismissed?

Both of them have resigned from their membership of the NasDem party.

Is the corruption due to personal reasons or the party system?

Because of their personality, environment, and character, thieves using expensive cars are still thieves. As for the party system, we will continue to update it. We invite the KPK to supervise here. We have thousands of members, if one or two are caught, Praise God, Alhamdulillah, thank God.

NasDem members should not try corruption, okay?

In this party, if someone tries to commit corruption, there are two possibilities. If we find out first we'll get him out, if we're caught outside we'll go to jail. That's all the choice.

 

Hermawi Taslim; About Chickens, Nias and Children as Inspiration

Childhood memories of raising chickens for the Secretary General of the NasDem Party, Hermawi Taslim, are very memorable. Until now, wherever he is, every morning he has to hear the crowing of a chicken. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Since childhood, Hermawi Taslim has raised chickens in his hometown. This habit continues to be maintained until now he is an adult and has a family and has children who are also adults. “Everywhere I go every morning I have to listen to the sound of roosters crowing. If there are no chickens, hearing the recorded sound of a chicken crowing on your cell phone is enough. "That's a habit I've had since childhood until now," said the man who now serves as Secretary General of the NasDem Party.

He was born in Padang and grew up in Nias and Padang, West Sumatra, but when asked which person he is, Hermawi Taslim prefers to be called a Nias person. “My father is from Padang, my mother is from Nias. When I was still a baby, I was taken to Nias Island, on a wooden boat for 24 hours. "My childhood there was extraordinary and will be remembered forever," said the man who was born on October 6, 1961.

Until class II of junior high school, he moved to Padang and completed his studies at Padang Frater Middle School (1977). “In Nias, there is no entertainment, the only entertainment is when the ships arrive. Someone came and there was loading and unloading of goods. "We told about the incident, we were very happy to see the ship coming," recalled Taslim, who continued his education at Don Bosco High School in Padang (finished in 1981).

Since studying at the Faculty of Law, University of North Sumatra, he has become active in student organizations; Association of Catholic Students of the Republic of Indonesia (PMKRI). “Because I was busy with college organizations, I was late. "I was about to be dropped out, but finally I was able to finish college," said the man who was once the General Chair of the PMKRI Alumni Communication Forum.

After college, he migrated to Jakarta, his dream was to become a notary. “In the capital, we are still taking care of the organization. Then he became a lawyer and got to know activists and became a politician. "I have forgotten my dream of becoming a notary," said the founder of the Taslim & Associates Law office.

Exercise Every Day

Getting to know and interacting with the late Gus Dur opened up Hermawi Taslim's political horizons. He was a member of the DPP PKB during Gus Dur's era. He is now implementing this provision in the NasDem Party. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

He was once a PDI administrator, but his introduction to Gus Dur opened up his political horizons. When Gus Dur founded PKB he was also involved. He served as Deputy Secretary General of PKB and one of the Chairmen of PKB.

He left PKB because there were internal problems in the party with the globe logo. Hermawi Taslim and his friend Effendy Choirie, who is also a DPP PKB administrator, joined a new party, National Democrat which was initiated by Surya Paloh. His career at NasDem was considered successful, once he was Deputy Secretary General, now he is trusted to occupy the position of Secretary General of NasDem after Johnny G. Plate resigned because he was involved in the BTS corruption case at Kominfo.

Since serving as secretary-general, Taslim has had to come early in the morning to his office at Nasdem Tower, Gondangdia, Central Jakarta. "The problem is that Mr. Surya Paloh came very early, but I came late. "Since becoming secretary-general, I have tried to come early," admitted Taslim, who was one of the Chairmen of the PKB DPP during Gus Dur's era.

Even though he is busy with political and organizational activities, Taslim still tries to do sports. “Every morning I try to exercise, usually for an hour. "If you can't do the treadmill at the office," he said, adding that even when he's on duty in the area, he doesn't forget to take a morning walk and swim.

Children As Inspiration

For Hermawi Taslim, children are an inspiration in working and creating. (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI Raga Granada VOI)

From his marriage to Kusnaningsih Mirayawati Bu'ulolo, Hermawi Taslim was blessed with three children, all of whom were boys. The eldest was named Yeremias Fade Taslim (27). “He is married and graduated from Bachelor's degree from Unpad Bandung and Master's degree from The Football Business Academy – Portugal. Now he works as a football marketing consultant at a company headquartered in Europe. But he works from Jakarta. "So it works online," he said.

For Taslim and Kurnaningsih's second child, they named Ezekiel Faoma Taslim (25). “Our second child graduated from Bachelor's degree at Nottingham University, England. And he continued his master's studies in creative writing at Warwick University - England," he said.

It was the youngest's turn; Yesayas Fanaetu Taslim (22) is also continuing his studies in England. “He graduated with a master's in the food technology department from  Reading University – UK. On December 6 2023 he will graduate. So my wife and I had a mission to persuade him to return to Indonesia besides attending his graduation. "But it seems difficult because he has accepted the job there," he said.

In educating Taslim's children and his wife, who retired early at a private bank in Jakarta, he gave more examples. “Every morning we pray together. "But after our children went to college in other cities or even abroad, we could no longer do that habit," said Taslim, who promised not to smoke when his first child was born, and until now he is no longer an expert at smoking. It turns out that this habit was imitated by his children.

For Hermawi Taslim, children are his inspiration in working and creating. “Not just children, they are an inspiration to me in working and creating. "If they remember, they will be enthusiastic," he concluded.

"So far we have focused on the mainland for too long, even though this country is an archipelago. In various regions, there are still many islands that do not have ports. The island and harbor are like brother and sister. How can we progress if we don't have a port?"

Hermawi Taslim