The New Order Story [3] Ali Sadikin with His "Petisi 50"

One by one, the 50 signatories to the "Petisi 50" or Fifty Petition were disabled. At least their livelihood rights and social rights are deprived. Not all of them, but his big name frontmen were slowly but surely being knocked out, personified. Call it the most legendary fate that befell the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ali Sadikin.

The name attached to Ali Sadikin at that time was Retired Lieutenant General KKO. He came into conflict with the New Order ruler, General Soeharto, when he retired from both military and government service. Together with a number of retired generals and senior politicians, they made expressions of concern at President Soeharto's 1980 speeches.

This corrective statement of concern for Soeharto and the government he was running was interpreted directly by Suharto as resistance to him. The only way Soeharto used to do it was to paralyze the resistance in various ways, including crippling the "insolent" former generals and senior politicians.

The physical statement by the group of signatories to the concern later became known as the "Petisi 50", referring to the number of signatories. Suddenly, this petition angered Soeharto. Very angry. Do you know how Soeharto vented his anger?

For one of the most vocal initiators of "Petisi 50", for example, Soeharto ordered Pangkopkamtib (Commander of the Command for Security and Order Operations) Admiral Sudomo to immediately arrest Bang Ali, Ali Sadikin's popular nickname.

Soedomo, who is none other than Ali Sadikin's junior in the Navy, rejects Soeharto's subtle ways. In exchange, Soedomo civilized killing Ali Sadikin alias "persona non grata".

Ali Sadikin, for example, was banned - and that applies to all petition signatories - when he wanted to take his wife for medical treatment to the Netherland in 1986. Even worse, he did not even get permission to perform the Haj pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It felt like a very racist act, but at that time SARA or not really depended on the perception of the ruler, Soeharto himself.

All doors were closed for Ali Sadikin. "Glass door" which Soeharto created himself. Civil homicide also happened to his family, namely his son, Boy Sadikin.

When borrowing funds from a bank for business capital, the application is always rejected. The hands of Soeharto's power blocked access to bank loans, especially state-owned banks, to Ali Sadikin's family.

There are many other forms of "persona non grata" against Ali Sadikin, such as prohibiting him from attending state events or national day celebrations, asking foreign embassies in Jakarta not to invite him, even most ironically not allowing him to attend the opening celebrations of the Jakarta Fair which he initiated. .

Perhaps among the generation who have never experienced mystical atmosphere when "Petisi 50" became a trending topic, it is necessary to know a little background about the existence of the most famous petition in the New Order era.

"Petisi 50" is actually an open document. Can be read by anyone. Its content that protested Soeharto's use of the state philosophy, namely Pancasila, against his political opponents, clearly provoked the ruler. This petition was released on May 5, 1980 in Jakarta as an "Expression of Concern".

Ali Sadikin was "only" one of the well-known signatories besides former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces General Abdul Haris Nasution, former National Police Chief Hoegeng Imam Santoso, SK Trimurti, Lt. Gen. retired Jassin, former Prime Minister Burhanuddin Harahap and Mohammad Natsir.

In Soeharto's hands, Pancasila, which is actually the ideology of the state, has turned into a club, the hitting tool of his most deadly political opponents. To fight Soeharto means to fight against state ideology. The reward is knowing for yourself, you could say treason and being thrown into custody as experienced by AM Fatwa, one of the signatories of the "Petisi 50".

So, the signatories to this petition stated that Suharto as the ruler had considered himself the embodiment of Pancasila, who used Pancasila "as a tool to threaten his political enemies".

What infuriated Suharto the most, the petition said that Suharto approved of the military's dishonorable actions, that soldiers' oaths were placed on the constitution and that soldiers were encouraged to choose friends and foes based solely on Suharto's considerations.

To just remind you what the contents of "Petisi 50" can be read here.

Such is the "Petisi 50" which will be remembered as "a resistance" from the most courageous elements of the citizens of the New Order era when Suharto was at the height of his power.

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The previous story: The New Order Story [2] The Unpredictable of Soeharto's Wordless Communication