LAWMAKER RESIGNS OVER PORN VIDEO

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 12 (ANTARA) - The resignation from Parliament of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) lawmaker Arifinto for watching a pornographic video during a plenary session last week, was praised by many quarters.          Three days after he was caught watching a pornographic video on his tablet computer during a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary session on Friday last week, Arifinto told the press on Monday he was resigning from the House for the sake of his party's honor.          Arifinto who was under fire for having watched the viedo, resigned amid a threat of punishment called for by former PKS chairman Tifatul Sembiring.          "With all of my conscience, without any pressure from anyone, for the sake of myself and on behalf of my party, I will soon file my resignation as a member of the DPR to my party," Arifinto said.          A series of photographs taken by a media photographer shows Arifinto selecting a pornographic film from a folder in his tablet, rather than opening an e-mail link as he had claimed, during the House plenary session.          His resignation immediately drew responses supporting the steps he was taking. Arifinto resigned in the face of criticism by former PKS president and now communications and information minister Tifatul Sembiring.          The minister proposed that PKS would take a firm action against Arifinto. "I am proposing that PKS should take a firm action against him. This is a serious matter that smeared the image not only of PKS but also of the House," Tifatul Sembiring said.          He said that the legal council of the executive board of PKS was deliberating the case of Arifinto. "PKS is now discussing the case. The Legal Council of the party will take action against him," the former PKS president said.            Sembiring also called on the Ethics Council of the House to take a firm action against the legislator, if he was proven to have made a mistake. "This is not only the problem of PKS but also of the House. This happened when the DPR is under the spotlight of the people for its plan to build a new building," he said.          He said that his ministry would conduct a digital forensic examination. "The ministry of communications and information will cooperate with the legal enforcers to conduct a digital forensic examination and to know whether Arifinto had deliberately downloaded the porn video into his tablet computer or the video had been sent to him. If it turned out that he only received it, it meant that he was only a victim," the minister said.         Yet, Arifinto's resignation has been appreciated by many quarters, including the faction of his party in the House of Representatives.         Chairman of the PKS faction in the House, Mustafa Kamal appreciated Arifinto's resignation, saying that his step had built a new culture in the Indonesian political sphere, namely the culture of readiness to voluntarily resign as a sign of public responsibility.          Kamal said that it showed his high respect to the House as a high state institution and to PKS which he also had found since the beginning. "On my personal behalf and as the chairman of the PKS faction in the House, I hope that all cadres and sympathizers of PKS would accept Arifinto's decision and would not be drawn to further into the problem," Kamal said.          In the meantime, Social Affairs Minister Salim Sefaf Al Jufrie who is also  a PKS cadre said that Arifinto's resignation should serve as an example for party members in accounting for their deeds.          "I think this is a good example, because people would considere PKS as a professional party. We have to maintain this. No matter what his reason is,  I think, it is a gentleman attitude that should serve as an example for the people where resignation would no longer become something special if someone makes a mistake. I think this is a good attitude," the minister said.          Other legislator, Ade Komarudin of the Golkar Party said that he agreed with the resignation of the PKS lawmaker.  "I support his resignation," Komaruddin, who is also secretary of the Golkar Party faction in the House said.          "We have to respect the principle of innocence in judging every case," Ade Komaruddin said.          He said that the House's Council of Ethics should act immediately to process the case so that it would not tarnish the image of the House as a whole.  "If no permanent decision has been taken, of course he would only be in a non active status," he said.          His colleague, Idrus Marham, who is Golkar's secretary general, appreciated Arifinto's step to resign, saying it was good for him to resign.          The resignation of the lawmaker has received appreciations by several quarters, including the executive director of the Center for Indonesian Reform (CIR), Sapto Waluyo.  He said Arifinto's resignation deserved appreciation.          "That is a form of self punishment and corrective action by a PKS lawmaker. Many lawmakers who have made bigger mistakes, even have become a corruption suspect, still maintain their positions in the House of Representatives. This is proof for PKS that it is maintaining its minimal moral principles," Sapto said.          He said that the step taken by Arifinto would revive some of the public trust on PKS  and other political parties that had now become under erosion.          "PKS is now under a test as a new national force, whether it is able to consistently maintain its slogan as a clean, professional and caring political party.  If PKS is aware of it in carrying out a corrective action systematically, the PKS influence as an agent of change will rise," he said.***3*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/B003) April 12, 2011