Anies should learn from global opposition figures who were later elected as leaders, like Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Brazilian President Lula da Silva. #kbanews
JAKARTA | KBA – The commitment of former presidential candidate Anies Baswedan to stay on the path of change is appreciated. Even the former Governor of Jakarta is expected to become a symbol of the opposition group that will monitor the performance of the upcoming government.
“Anies must leave a legacy. I would be very disappointed if Anies were to join the government. He should become a symbol of someone outside of power who contributes to the good of the country,” explained Professor Ahmad Humam Hamid from Syiah Kuala University (USK) to KBA News on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
He believes the former Governor of Jakarta should learn from global opposition figures who were later elected as leaders, such as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.
“How many years Anwar Ibrahim fasted before he came to power. That is one example. Then there is Lula da Silva in Brazil. He ran for president six times. The sixth time he was elected. The seventh time he lost and the eighth time he was elected again,” he detailed.
“So never feel lonely or humiliated when you are not in power,” he emphasized.
When asked whether Anies should start a political party or run again for the Jakarta gubernatorial election after losing the 2024 presidential election, this sociologist and political observer did not answer. According to him, Anies already knows what he should do.
“I think we shouldn’t teach Anies how to play his role. Don’t. We should not give him a format. He is a good player. Without being pushed or told, he will always be an alternative, a place the public turns to when the country is in crisis,” he said.
“I know very well he is deeply familiar with and understands the constitution. I know very well he can read the cries of the people’s conscience. He is very capable of reading the situation,” he further emphasized.
He himself is optimistic that Anies will get the opportunity to lead this country. Because the former Rector of Paramadina University has the track record and capabilities to be a national political leader.
“For someone of his intellectual caliber, who has ventured into the wilderness of power, he is the best. There has never been a campus figure or public intellectual who managed to crawl into the big arena and come out on top,” he asserted.
This academician, a graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines (Master’s), and University of Kansas, USA (Ph.D.), does not deny that Anies failed in the 2024 presidential election. But since Anies is still young, he encourages Anies to run again in the next democratic festival.
“It’s only a matter of time. He is too young to stop. There is still a lot of energy spread out, it’s just about how he consolidates it. That he will be obstructed, will be criticized, that’s a consequence. If you don’t want to be buffeted by waves, don’t build a house on the beach,” he concluded, quoting a proverb. (kba)