Today's Memory, October 15, 2008: Cak Imin Is Prohibited From Using Gus Dur's Photo To Get People's Voice

Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) gave a speech at the 2011nd and 2nd Haul Gus Dur notes event in 2011. (ANTARA/Prasetyo Utomo)

JAKARTA Memories of today, 16 years ago, October 15, 2008, the former President of Indonesia who is also the founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB), Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) forbade Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) to use photos and pictures to get people's votes. Legal steps are prepared if his nephew, Cak Imin violates.

Previously, the conflict between uncle and nephew shocked many people. Gus Dur felt that Cak Imin was too visible to power. He considered this condition a way for Cak Imin to coup Gus Dur from PKB.

Gus Dur once considered Cak Imin as a young man with potential. He invited Cak Imin to join PKB. This condition made Cak Imin's political career skyrocket. He was able to sit in Senayan as a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 1999-2004 period.

Gus Dur's support did not end. The man who was nicknamed the Nation's Teacher supports Cak Imin in the election of the PKB General Chair at the second PKB Congress in Semarang 2005. Gus Dur's support has a big influence. Cak Imin was able to win from Mahfud MD to Saifullah Yusuf.

This condition makes Cak Imin and Gus Dur side by side. Gus Dur as Chairman of the PKB Syuro Council. While Cak Imin as General Chair of the PKB DPP. This combination brings great hope to the future of PKB.

In fact, there is only hope. The presence of Cak Imin as a high-ranking PKB official was considered by Gus Dur to have suffered many benefits rather than benefits. Gus Dur was disappointed. Gus Dur considers Cak Imin too bright with power.

Cak Imin played dead a lot with the authorities. One thing that made Gus Dur believe that Cak Imin had led to personal interests, not the party's big interest. Gus Dur also tried to fire Cak Imin in March 2008. However, Cak Imin did not just accept it.

Cak Imin brought his irregular dismissal to court and won. This condition made the two, Gus Dur and Cak Imin, fall into a bigger conflict. The Extraordinary Congress version of each was launched. Cak Imin's PKB is recognized by the government.

Gus Dur's camp defeat in competition to obtain the legality of the PKB leadership with the Cak Imin camp caused the so-called first loss of power, while the other camps controlled the party. Gus Dur and his supporters who were originally so dominant in the party with the above court's decision made him lose their dominance again," wrote Ridho Imawan Hanafi in the book Persionalization of Political Parties in Indonesia Era Reform (2018).

The conflict between Gus Dur and Cak Imin continues. Gus Dur began not to want to take pictures and pictures of himself as Cak Imin as an invitation to get votes in the upcoming 2009 election. Gus Dur firmly forbade Cak Imin to use his photo on October 15, 2008.

The decision was the result of a joint meeting of the PKB DPP. Gus Dur did not want the ban to be considered mere raids. Gus Dur will take legal action if Cak Imin commits the violation. This condition is like an affirmation that Gus Dur refuses to lose the PKB struggle.

"If the use of the image or photo continues, it will be prosecuted as to which legal provisions apply. Both the wrongdoing committed by Muhaimin Iskandar, KPU, and the government. The process of this lawsuit is now ongoing and continues to take place in both the Administrative Court, South Jakarta District Court and Central Jakarta," Gus Dur said as quoted on the detik.com page the day after, October 16, 2008.