Urged To Resign From PPP Influenced By 'Envelope Kiai' Speech, Suharso Monoarfa: Wow, I Don't Want To Answer

Chairman of the United Development Party (PPP) Suharso Monoarfa gave a statement after participating in the Integrated Smart Politics with Integrity (PCB) 2022/ANTARA program

JAKARTA - PPP General Chair Suharso Monoarfa responded to the pressure to resign from his position as PPP General Chair due to a speech he delivered at the Smart Politics with Integrity (PCB) activity at the KPK's ACLC Building, which alluded to the kiai envelope.

"Well, I don't want to answer that, because it's not right for me to answer. Because it's not in the organization's mechanism," said Suharso when met by reporters at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, August 24.

According to Suharso, related parties need to do tabayyun or research events without rushing to decide the problem. He emphasized that the speech did not stand alone and was a long speech and was delivered after the KPK leadership had previously given a speech.

"So I have to be more or less sustainable, so the tone must be the same. Then I adopted that everything that was conveyed by the KPK became a reference for context, and the important thing was that the event was for PPP from the KPK, in the context of education to build culture political intelligence and integrity," he explained.

According to him, what he conveyed in the speech had the right context and was integrated with the remarks of the KPK leadership and the theme of the event. But he stressed the speech he delivered at the event was trimmed, viral and even added.

"What I said is something that I think can be accounted for in the context, especially after being reminded by Mr. Nurul Ghufron (Vice Chair of the KPK) so that PPP remains adamant on the political basis of the YME God. power, so it was avoided," he explained.

He emphasized that he had absolutely no desire to harass the highly respected kiai, especially since PPP was founded by ulama and kiai.

Asked about the possibility of PPP politicians wanting to overthrow him, Suharso said he was reluctant to have bad thoughts. He views the events that occurred within PPP as just a misunderstanding, and too far to say it will affect the position of PPP, which has now joined the United Indonesia Coalition (KIB) with Golkar and PAN.

Previously in his speech at the Briefing on Intelligent Political Anti-Corruption with Integrity (PCB) for the United Development Party in collaboration with the KPK in mid-August, Suharso mentioned the kiai envelope.

In the event, which can be watched on the ACLC KPK Youtube channel, Suharso started his speech by telling his experience when he was the acting General Chairperson of PPP, where he had to visit several kiai at a large Islamic boarding school.

"By Allah and the Messenger it happened. I came to the kiai with some friends, then I just left. Yes, I asked for prayer, then I went. Not long after, I was sent a WhatsApp message, 'Plt Plt was leaving or not for the kiai', I thought what to leave, I don't feel like I left anything there," said Suharso at the time.

After that, Suharso was reminded that if he met a kiai, he had to leave an "eye sign".

"'If you come to him, you must have an eye mark left behind'. Wow, I didn't bring it. What's the signature? A sarong? a cap? Al-Quran or something? where every time we meet, we can't, even to this day if we meet there, if the greeting doesn't have an envelope, it's something tasteless going home. This is a real problem we are facing right now," he explained.