Gus Dur – Edward Soeryadjaya, The Secret to Forming NU-Summ

 

Gus Dur – Edward Soeryadjaya, The Secret to Forming NU-Summ

Not Gus Dur if he doesn't make maneuvers that surprise his political opponents. In fact, internally the Nahdlatul Ulama administrators and Nahdliyyin residents often had to reflect deeply to understand Gus Dur's tactical steps. Gus Dur's friendship with the Chinese was not only in the cultural aspect. Gus Dur moved forward by forming a business partnership to build a people's economy.

What is the shape? Together with the Soeryadjaya family, Chinese businessmen who controlled the business network, Gus Dur formed a bank for the people. Bank Summa, which is under the Astra group, was invited as a business partner to supply funds. Thus, NU-Summa was formed. Gus Dur collaborated with William Soeryadjaya's son, named Edward Soeryajaya to establish Bank NU-Summa (Andre Feilard, Gus Dur NU and Civil Society , 1994: 75).

In 1990, Abdurrahman made a surprising maneuver by announcing that NU would establish a rural credit bank. This bank, is intended to help nahdliyyin entrepreneurs, small people and farmers. This bank cooperates with the Summa Bank group as its working partner. The initial plan was that NU-Summa would build two thousand branches. However, in the end only nine branches were established, before Bank Summa collapsed in 1992, with a credit load of US$ 720 million. Bank Summa shares were taken over by Koran Jawa Pos, while Astra Group was taken over by two cukong, Prajogo Pangestu and Liem Sioe Liong (MC. Ricklefs, History of Modern Indonesia , p. 671).

Who is Edward Soeryadjaya? He is the son of William Soeryadjaya, the conglomerate owner of the Astra Group. During his lifetime, Uncle Willem (as he was called by his colleagues) was a cold-handed businessman, who worked diligently and conscientiously. He expanded the Astra Group's business network, as well as built business groups in several business sectors. Among them, Karabha Group, Malabar Group, Sidita Group, Siratara Group, Watek Group, Suryaraya Group, Nityasa Group, and Arya Group ( Arsip Warta Ekonomi ).

Edward Soeryadjaya (Tjia Hak Sen), born in Amsterdam, May 21, 1948. Edward started his business adventure as a shareholder and Commissioner of PT Astra Internasional. He is also trusted as the manager of the Summa Group, a subsidiary of the Astra Group. Summa is engaged in banking, finance and other economic sectors.

In the biographical book of Chinese figures, Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary (Ed, Leo Suryadinata, 2012: 1000-2), the Soeryadjaya family figure who controls various business sectors in Indonesia. The Soeryadjaya family's collaboration through the Summa Bank managed by Edward Soeryadjaya caused turmoil for the New Order government. The penetration of the Summa group to create small banks that are connected to the economic potential of the Nahdlatul Ulama residents, made the tycoons behind Suharto's power feel hot. This is what later became a blow to NU-Summa.

Bank NU-Summa was Gus Dur's response to economic problems and financial credit for the poor. Gus Dur wanted to unite the potential quantity of NU residents and the growing potential of resources, with the economic capital owned by Chinese businessmen. In addition, Gus Dur wanted to give an example of how NU could cooperate with business institutions owned by Chinese people, who at that time were discriminated against by the policies of the New Order government.

Greg Barton reminisced about Gus Dur's important days in building NU-Summa. For several years, Abdurrahman had dreamed of a network of rural banks, such as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. “This bank network will provide credit for those who find it difficult to obtain credit from conventional banks. This bank is supported by Bank Summa, which is owned by Indonesian citizens of Chinese descent, and also accepts conventional deposits that earn interest,” wrote Barton, in his work ' Biography of Gus Dur' (2003: 213).

In Greg Barton's notes, Gus Dur has consistently defended Indonesian citizens of Chinese descent, and people of interfaith. Especially, those who have been discriminated against by the political policies of the authorities. The Chinese felt indebted to Gus Dur for his courageous defense against political discrimination from the Suharto government.

Many figures supported the establishment of Bank NU-Summa. Among them, Minister of Religion Munawir Syadzali, who said that the establishment of Bank NU-Summa was a strategic step and should have happened earlier. Another figure, Dorodjatun Kuntjorojakti, an economist and Dean of FE UI (at that time), emphasized that the idea of ​​establishing NU-Summa was a big idea. In fact, Dorodjatun hoped that Gus Dur's move to establish a bank for the people was 15 years earlier than the realization of his idea.

The initiation of the establishment of Bank NU-Summa brought important memories to Chinese Indonesians. Natalia Soebagjo, in “Chinese People Become Indonesia” ( Reinventing Indonesia, Rediscovering the Future of the Nation , p. 592) writes about Gus Dur's important role in bringing Chinese people closer to Indonesian citizens. If all this time the Chinese were considered 'not Indonesian', Gus Dur clearly and concretely brought these two forces closer together through business institutions.

“One of its creative efforts to bring the natives and Chinese descent closer together is the collaboration between NU and Summa Bank, owned by the Soeryadjaya family, to establish people's credit banks. Gus Dur wants to show that the Islamic organization NU can work with a person of Chinese descent," Natalia wrote. Gus Dur also moved to fight Chinese discrimination. After the tragedy of May 1998, Gus Dur became the founder of the Indonesian Anti-Discrimination Movement (GANDI).

Although in the end, Bank NU-Summa faltered due to the collapse of Bank Summa, Gus Dur's steps in building a people's economy through the system should be exemplary. The collapse of Bank Summa was more colored by the political actions of the authorities, although in the end William Soeryadjaya was responsible for resolving bad debts by releasing his shares in the Astra Group. NU-Summa is a historical record of Gus Dur's relationship with Chinese people in this country.